TheArtifact Ancient Art & Artifact Catalog
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Imperial Collection - sterling silver bracelet & 14k gold with iolite : The Imperial Collection is inspired by the Byzantine and Ottoman Empires; 17th Century Russia; and European wrought-ironwork and architectural detail.

Imperial Collection - sterling silver bracelet with iolite : The Imperial Collection is inspired by the Byzantine and Ottoman Empires; 17th Century Russia; and European wrought-ironwork and architectural detail.

Imperial Collection - wire earring sterling silver : The Imperial Collection is inspired by the Byzantine and Ottoman Empires; 17th Century Russia; and European wrought-ironwork and architectural detail.

Imperial Collection - locket necklace sterling silver : The Imperial Collection is inspired by the Byzantine and Ottoman Empires; 17th Century Russia; and European wrought-ironwork and architectural detail.

Imperial Collection - locket necklace sterling silver : The Imperial Collection is inspired by the Byzantine and Ottoman Empires; 17th Century Russia; and European wrought-ironwork and architectural detail.

Imperial Collection - locket bracelet sterling silver with 14k gold and iolite : The Imperial Collection is inspired by the Byzantine and Ottoman Empires; 17th Century Russia; and European wrought-ironwork and architectural detail.

Imperial Collection - locket bracelet sterling silver with garnet : The Imperial Collection is inspired by the Byzantine and Ottoman Empires; 17th Century Russia; and European wrought-ironwork and architectural detail.

Imperial Collection - locket bracelet sterling silver : The Imperial Collection is inspired by the Byzantine and Ottoman Empires; 17th Century Russia; and European wrought-ironwork and architectural detail.

Imperial Collection - locket bracelet sterling silver with cubic zirconia : The Imperial Collection is inspired by the Byzantine and Ottoman Empires; 17th Century Russia; and European wrought-ironwork and architectural detail.

Imperial Collection - locket necklace sterling silver with 14k gold and peridot : The Imperial Collection is inspired by the Byzantine and Ottoman Empires; 17th Century Russia; and European wrought-ironwork and architectural detail.

Imperial Collection - locket bracelet sterling silver with blue topaz : The Imperial Collection is inspired by the Byzantine and Ottoman Empires; 17th Century Russia; and European wrought-ironwork and architectural detail.

Imperial Collection - locket necklace sterling silver with 14k gold and blue topaz : The Imperial Collection is inspired by the Byzantine and Ottoman Empires; 17th Century Russia; and European wrought-ironwork and architectural detail.

Imperial Collection - necklace sterling silver with blue topaz : The Imperial Collection is inspired by the Byzantine and Ottoman Empires; 17th Century Russia; and European wrought-ironwork and architectural detail.

Imperial Collection - bracelet sterling silver with blue topaz : The Imperial Collection is inspired by the Byzantine and Ottoman Empires; 17th Century Russia; and European wrought-ironwork and architectural detail.

Imperial Collection - necklace sterling silver with pearl drop and blue topaz : The Imperial Collection is inspired by the Byzantine and Ottoman Empires; 17th Century Russia; and European wrought-ironwork and architectural detail.

Imperial Collection - post earrings sterling silver with pearl drop and blue topaz : The Imperial Collection is inspired by the Byzantine and Ottoman Empires; 17th Century Russia; and European wrought-ironwork and architectural detail.

Imperial Collection - bracelet sterling silver with amethyst : The Imperial Collection is inspired by the Byzantine and Ottoman Empires; 17th Century Russia; and European wrought-ironwork and architectural detail.

Imperial Collection - post earrings sterling silver with amethyst : The Imperial Collection is inspired by the Byzantine and Ottoman Empires; 17th Century Russia; and European wrought-ironwork and architectural detail.

Imperial Collection - necklace sterling silver with amethyst : The Imperial Collection is inspired by the Byzantine and Ottoman Empires; 17th Century Russia; and European wrought-ironwork and architectural detail.

Imperial Collection - post earrings sterling silver : The Imperial Collection is inspired by the Byzantine and Ottoman Empires; 17th Century Russia; and European wrought-ironwork and architectural detail.

Imperial Collection - Tahitian Pearl on Handmade Chain : The Imperial Collection is inspired by the Byzantine and Ottoman Empires; 17th Century Russia; and European wrought-ironwork and architectural detail.

Imperial Collection - hoop earrings sterling silver : The Imperial Collection is inspired by the Byzantine and Ottoman Empires; 17th Century Russia; and European wrought-ironwork and architectural detail.

Imperial Collection - hoop earrings sterling silver : The Imperial Collection is inspired by the Byzantine and Ottoman Empires; 17th Century Russia; and European wrought-ironwork and architectural detail.

Imperial Collection - locket necklace sterling silver with 14k gold and garnet : The Imperial Collection is inspired by the Byzantine and Ottoman Empires; 17th Century Russia; and European wrought-ironwork and architectural detail.

Imperial Collection - filigree necklace with freshwater pearls : The Imperial Collection is inspired by the Byzantine and Ottoman Empires; 17th Century Russia; and European wrought-ironwork and architectural detail.

Imperial Collection - wire earrings with freshwater pearls : The Imperial Collection is inspired by the Byzantine and Ottoman Empires; 17th Century Russia; and European wrought-ironwork and architectural detail.

Imperial Collection - freshwater pearl necklace with pearl drop : The Imperial Collection is inspired by the Byzantine and Ottoman Empires; 17th Century Russia; and European wrought-ironwork and architectural detail.

Imperial Collection - pearl drop earrings with posts sterling silver : The Imperial Collection is inspired by the Byzantine and Ottoman Empires; 17th Century Russia; and European wrought-ironwork and architectural detail.

Imperial Collection - freshwater pearl bracelet white : The Imperial Collection is inspired by the Byzantine and Ottoman Empires; 17th Century Russia; and European wrought-ironwork and architectural detail.

Imperial Collection - post earrings sterling silver with garnet : The Imperial Collection is inspired by the Byzantine and Ottoman Empires; 17th Century Russia; and European wrought-ironwork and architectural detail.

Imperial Collection - beaded necklace with briolette drop sterling silver with aquamarine : The Imperial Collection is inspired by the Byzantine and Ottoman Empires; 17th Century Russia; and European wrought-ironwork and architectural detail.

Imperial Collection - wire earrings sterling silver with 14k gold : The Imperial Collection is inspired by the Byzantine and Ottoman Empires; 17th Century Russia; and European wrought-ironwork and architectural detail.

Imperial Collection - necklace sterling silver with 14k gold with iolite : The Imperial Collection is inspired by the Byzantine and Ottoman Empires; 17th Century Russia; and European wrought-ironwork and architectural detail.

Imperial Collection - bracelet sterling silver with 14k gold with iolite : The Imperial Collection is inspired by the Byzantine and Ottoman Empires; 17th Century Russia; and European wrought-ironwork and architectural detail.

Imperial Collection - post earrings sterling silver with 14k gold with iolite : The Imperial Collection is inspired by the Byzantine and Ottoman Empires; 17th Century Russia; and European wrought-ironwork and architectural detail.

Imperial Collection - necklace sterling silver with 14k gold : The Imperial Collection is inspired by the Byzantine and Ottoman Empires; 17th Century Russia; and European wrought-ironwork and architectural detail.

Smilodon californicus (Saber Tooth Cat) Pleistocene Epoch : Smilodon californicus has been extinct for about 12,000 years and is a widely recognized symbol of power and beauty. A Saber Tooth Tiger’s strength combined with its two lethal sabers made it a fearsome predator. Living alongside the American Lion, one can only imagine the fierce competition for food between these two animals. The original skull is part of the collection at the Los Angeles County Natural History Museum.

Tyrannosaurus rex Tooth: (Dinosaur Reproduction) End of the Cretaceous Period : This is an exact replica directly from the jaws of the most ferocious animal to ever stalk the Earth. This serrated, dagger-like tooth is 11" long and covered with wonderful detail. The original is on display at the Museum of Geology in South Dakota.

Tyrannosaurus Rex (1/4 Scale Reproduction) End of the Cretaceous Period : Tyrannosaurs were a group of large carnivorous dinosaurs that roamed North America and Asia 85 to 65 million years ago. The most famous tyrannosaur, of course, is Tyrannosaurus rex, which was one of the last non-avian dinosaurs to walk the earth before the great extinction.

Australopithecus Afarensis Skull (Hominid Skull Reproduction) : Australopithecines afarensis is the oldest of four species of australopithecines,an extinct genus of the hominid family found in E and S Africa between 4 and 1 million years ago dating, which is know to be at least 3.75 million years ago. Evidence from 3.6 million-year-old footprints, preserved in volcanic ash at Laetoli, and from postcranial skeletal remains show that Australopithecines afarensis was relatively small, standing 3.5 to 5 ft (1 to 1.6 m) tall and weighing 45 to 110 lb (20 to 50 kg). All four species shared a number of anatomical similarities, including a fully erect posture and bipedal gait. The most “primitive” feature was a small and apelike braincase, comparable in size to those of both gorillas and chimpanzees when measured relative to overall body size

Neanderthal Skull (Homo neanderthalensis) Pleistocene Epoch : An extinct human species (Homo neanderthalensis) or subspecies (Homo sapiens neanderthalensis) living during the late Pleistocene Epoch throughout most of Europe and parts of Asia and northern Africa and associated with Middle Paleolithic tools.

Allosaurus (Dinosaur Fossil Reproduction) Late Jurassic and early Cretaceous Period : A carnivorous dinosaurs of the late Jurassic and early Cretaceous Periods, similar to but smaller than the tyrannosaur

Osiris Relief : Osiris, the Resurrection God, is the central figure in the afterlife myth and in Egyptian mythology as a whole. His name means "The Seat of the Eye". To die and be properly prepared for the other life is to become one with Osiris in the underworld over which he rules. Osiris received earthly rule from his father, Geb. His brother Seth envied his hegemony; he enticed Osiris into a chest and flung him into the Nile. His wife sought and found his body and with her own magic powers and the help of Thoth, Nephthys, Anubis and Horus, restored Osiris to life. Osiris, however already belonged to the world of the dead, and although after his resurrection he could have reclaimed his throne, he preferred to maintain his kingdom in the Land of the Dead, leaving his vindication on earth in the hands of his posthumous son Horus.

Maat Relief - Painted : The Goddess Maat is the personification of all the elements of cosmic harmony as established by the Creator-God at the beginning of time-including truth, justice, law, world order and moral integrity. Maat is shown as a lady wearing on her head an ostrich feather. The seated image of Maat was held in pharaoh’s hand like a doll and was presented as an offering to the Gods.

Isis and Queen Nefertari - Valley of the Queens, Luxor, 1270BC : The tomb of Nefertari, from which this wall fragment comes, is the largest architectural and decorative enterprise ever dedicated to a Pharaoh’s wife. Nefertari was named Nefertari was the chief Queen and favorite wife of Ramses II. The name Nefertari means “the most beautiful of them”. Ramses II devoted the minor temple of Abu Simbel to the Goddess Hathor and dedicated it to Nefertari. There, identified with the Goddess, Nefertari intensely participated in the divine cult. Nefertari gave Ramses II his firstborn son as well as three other sons and two daughters. Nefertari died in her forties. Nefertari, with a beautiful white ceremonial garb receives the breath of life from Isis, the Mother Goddess. The hieroglyphic inscription gives the name of the Queen and her titles as well as the one from Isis: “Isis, Lady in Heaven, Great Royal Wife, Nefertari-Mery-En-Mut. Justified”.

Winged Isis Relief - Tomb of Seti I, Valley of the Kings. Luxor, Egypt 1280 B.C. : This sculpture shows Isis with her wings extended in a pose of protection. The name Isis means "Seat" or "Throne". She was regarded as the symbolical mother of the King. In myth she sought her dead husband and brother, Osiris, conceived her son Horus by him, buried him and mourned him together with her sister Nephtys. Isis was regarded as the “Eye of Ra” and was worshipped as the "Great of Magic" who had protected her son Horus from snakes, predators and other dangers; thus she would protect mortal children also. In the New Kingdom Isis was closely connected with Hathor whose physical attributes, the cow's horns and sun-disk she adopted.

Egyptian Cat Relief : The first reference to the domestic cat appears in the eleventh dynasty. Because it was hostile to snakes, it became a sacred animal of the Sun God. In the New Kingdom, the male cat was regarded as an incarnation of the Sun God and the female cat was equated with the solar eye. Feline figures may display a scarab, the symbol of the rising sun, engraved on the head or breast thus showing their solar significance. The domestic cat attained special significance as the sacred animal of the Goddess Bastet. Hundreds of figures were set up as votive offerings in the temple at Bubastis in order that the donor might share in the Goddess's grace. Actual mummies of cats were buried by the thousands in special cemeteries in the area.

Reclining Anubis Relief : Anubis, God of the Dead, represented with a head of a jackal or simply as a jackal opened the road to the other world and presided over embalmments. After a funeral, Anubis would take the deceased by the hand and introduce him into the presence of the sovereign judges where the soul of the deceased would be weighed. Anubis was the Guardian of Offerings brought to the ceremony by heirs of the deceased and he also guarded the mummy from evil forces in the night. When the body was embalmed, a priest wearing a jackal mask acted as Anubis's representative. He also was the guardian of the Sacred Esoteric Mysteries. The origin of this God lay in the fact that jackals could be heard howling in the desert to the west of the Nile at sunset-at the time when burials took place.

Horus Falcon Relief : In Egyptian mythology, Horus was the Divine Child of Osiris and Isis. As the Incarnate God, his roles were numerous. He united the cosmic principles of male and female. He acted as the uniting force between Upper and Lower Egypt. He interceded on behalf of the King to the Gods and as a living God, it is Horus who bestowed supreme power and divine kingship to a Pharaoh. From his union with Isis he has four sons, guardians of the four Canopic Jars that contain the visceras of the embalmed deceased. Horus's most important cult centers were at Edfu, where the God was venerated in the image of the winged disk, at Kom Ombo, where as Son of Ra he bore the name Haroeris, and at Heliopolis where he was regarded as the God of the Morning Sun under the name of Ra-Harakhty.

Hathor Relief - Temple of Abidos, Egypt. 19th. Dynasty 1317 B.C. : Her name means “The Dwelling of Horus”, for it was thought that Horus as the Sun God came to rest each evening on her breast before being reborn with the awakening dawn. Hathor is the great Sky-Goddess that as a celestial cow gave birth to the universe. She was often represented as a cow or with bovine attributes such as a cow’s head, cow’s ears or horns on her headdress. Hathor was the Goddess of Joy and Motherhood and the embodiment of all that is best in women. She was also considered the Goddess of music, song, dance and lighthearted pleasure, but she was essentially a Moon Goddess. She was considered the protectress of pregnant women and midwives. Her main cult centre was at Dendera, where she was worshipped along with her husband, Horus. Hathor was the Supreme Goddess of sexual love in Egypt, immediately identified with Aphrodite by the Greeks. Her temple at Dendera was “The House of Intoxication and Enjoyment”.

Ramses II at the battle of Kadesh - Temple of Ramses II, Abu Simbel, Egypt. Dynasty XIX, 1255 B.C. : The most celebrated of all Pharaohs, Ramses II, is well known for the length of his reign, the numerous temples he built and his military campaigns, such as the battle of Kadesh where Ramses II, facing the army of Muwattali, King of the Hittites found himself surrounded by 2500 Hittite Charioteers with only his personal bodyguard to help him. As the enemy closed in around him, Pharaoh leaped into his chariot, tied the reins around his waist to leave his hands free, sent forth a great cry for help to Amun and charged six times against the Hittites, finally breaking through and winning the battle. Ramses II was the son of Seti I and was crowned Pharaoh in 1290 b.c. when he was 18 years old. Ramses II had many wives but the first and favorite chief Queen was Nefertari. Ramses died at the age of 85 after ruling Egypt for 67 years.

The Goddess Nekhbet Relief , Painted - Temple of Abydos, Egypt. Dynasty XIX, 1317 B.C. : The vulture Goddess Nekhbet was originally worshipped in the city of Nekhbet but later she became a national Goddess representing Upper Egypt in the same way that Lower Egypt was represented by the protective snake Goddess, Edjo of Buto. The animals of the two Goddesses became the symbolic animals of the two halves of the country. The vulture and the snake became the royal insignia, especially as adornments for the head, in fact, they became embodiment of the two crowns. Nekhbet is often shown with her wings outstretched in protection, often hovering over the Pharaoh and holding in her claws the hieroglyphic symbol the “Shem”, which means “to encircle” and “infinity”, and represents lordship over all that the sun encircles. Nekhbet was also considered a Goddess of childbirth, often shown suckling the royal child or even the King himself. Here Nekhbet is depicted in the guise of an elegant Queen.

Isis Relief, Painted - Temple of Kalabsha, Egypt. 300 B.C. : The name Isis means “seat” or “throne”. She was regarded as the symbolical mother of the King. In myth, she sought her dead husband and brother, Osiris, conceived her son Horus by him, buried and mourned him together with her sister Nephtys. Isis was regarded as the “Eye of Ra” and was worshipped as the “Great of Magic” who had protected her son Horus from snakes, predators and other dangers: thus she would protect mortal children also. The ancient Egyptians regarded the Goddess as the “Eye of Ra”. Here she carries the ankh and the papyrus sceptre of Goddesses; the horns and sun disk of Hathor and the hieroglyph for the name Isis on top of the sun-disk. She wears a feather dress and a headdress composed of a vulture, showing that she was identified with Mut.

Queen Nefertari - Valley of the Queens, Luxor, Egypt. Dynasty XIX, 1270 B.C. : The tomb of Nefertari, from which this wall fragment comes, is the largest architectural and decorative enterprise ever dedicated to a Pharaoh’s wife. Nefertari was the chief Queen and favorite wife of Ramses II. The name Nefertari means “the most beautiful of them”. Ramses II devoted the minor temple of Abu Simbel to the Goddess Hathor and dedicated it to Nefertari. There,identified with the Goddess, Nefertari intensely participated in the divine cult. Nefertari gave Ramses II his firstborn son as well as three other sons and two daughters. Nefertari died in her forties. Nefertari is standing with arms raised in signal of adoration towards an altar where Osiris is seated and Anubis is standing. The Queen, dressed in white ceremonial garb, wears the crown with the vulture headdress of Nekhbet, the protective Goddess of Upper Egypt.

Cleopatra Relief (Posing as Isis) - Temple of Denderah, Egypt. 35 B.C. : The last of the Macedonian rulers of Egypt, Cleopatra VII has been preserved in legend as a woman of formidable intellect and ambition who used her beauty and charm to advance Egypt’s fortunes. In 51 B.C. she became joint ruler with her father Ptolemy XII and then with her brother and husband Ptolemy XIII. When he died in 47 B.C., her younger brother (also her husband) Ptolemy XIV succeeded him. When Ceasar came to Alexandria, Cleopatra persuaded him to support her cause and she regained her throne and jointly ruled with their son Caesarion from 36 B.C. After Caesar’s death, she joined Mark Anthony hoping that he would help to restore Egypt to its past glory by using Rome’s power. Mark Anthony gave Cleopatra much of Rome’s eastern possessions but his Roman rival Octavian used this episode as a pretext to turn the Roman senate against Mark Anthony and begin a war against him & Cleopatra. Augustus Octavian defeated him at the battle of Actium. Anthony and Cleopatra withdrew to Alexandria where they committed suicide. Cleopatra was a remarkable woman and a formidable queen. She was the only Ptolemaic ruler to learn to speak Egyptian.

Egyptian Princess Relief - Temple of Abydos, Egypt. Dynasty XIX 1270B.C. : Her name was Nes-Amun. She was one of the more than fifty daughters of Ramses II. Princesses were called Royal Daughters. They often had their own palaces or at least their own compound within the palace with an extensive staff of attendants. Sometimes the older daughter would marry their father after the death of their mother thus becoming the new Chief Queen. Often when a brother became king, he would marry the older sister probably following the tradition of the gods Osiris and Isis, who were brother and sister as well as husband and wife. A princess was often very involved in religious duties usually as priestesses of the goddess Hathor. In this wall fragment, Nes-Amun wears an elaborate wig and a white linen dress while presenting an offering to a deity

Winged Maat - Tomb of Nefertari, Luxor. Egypt. Dynasty XIX, 1270 B.C. : This relief shows the Goddess Maat kneeling with her wings extended in a pose of protection or paying homage. Maat is the Goddess of Truth and Justice who personifies cosmic order and harmony as established by the Creator God at the beginning of time. Her symbol is an ostrich feather. The seated image of Maat was held in pharaoh’s hand like a doll and was presented as an offering to the Gods. This meant that the king was the representative of divine order since Maat was seen as legitimizing their authority to govern and to uphold the laws of the universe which she embodies. Judges were regarded as priests of Maat. In the hall of judgement at the weighing of the heart, the heart of the deceased was placed on the scales of justice, balanced against the feather of Maat, symbol of justice.

Ramses II as a Child - The Louvre Museum, Paris. Dynasty XIX 1300 B.C. : This representation of the Great Pharaoh of Egypt shows the King as a child with a nude torso. The plait falling at one side of the shaved head is the typical ornament of a young Prince. He also has a heavy pendant in the ear, which would be abandoned after puberty and finally the finger in the mouth imitates the attitude of the young God Horus. Facing him is the name of the crowned Ramses II, clearly showing that he already is the enthroned sovereign. Ramses II is well known for the length of his reign, the numerous temples he built and his military campaigns. Ramses was the son of Seti I and was crowned Pharaoh in 1290 B.C. when he was 18 years old. Ramses had many wives but the first and favorite chief Queen was Nefertari. Ramses died at the age of 85 after ruling Egypt for 67 years.

Kneeling Isis - Temple of Abydos, Egypt. Dynasty XIX, 1371 B.C. : This sculpture shows Isis kneeling and making an offering of the ankh, the symbol of life. The name Isis means "Seat" or "Throne". She was regarded as the symbolical mother of the King. In myth she sought her dead husband and brother, Osiris, conceived her son Horus by him, buried him and mourned him together with her sister Nephtys. Isis was regarded as the “Eye of Ra” and was worshipped as the "Great of Magic" who had protected her son Horus from snakes, predators and other dangers; thus she would protect mortal children also. In the New Kingdom Isis was closely connected with Hathor whose physical attributes, the cow's horns and sun-disk she adopted.

Eye of Horus Relief : The eye of Horus also called Oudjat or Wedjat, is the left lunar eye which originates from the struggle btween Horus and Seth. In this fight, Horus loses his left eye which is taken by Seth, but then Horus acquires spiritual sight, the eye of light. The eye was later healed by Thoth and returned to Horus and then called “the Oudjat” (“the Whole One”). It was a symbol of the power of the God of light, and therefore a popular amulet for protection and good luck. Some oudjat eyes had an arm carrying the Ankh or the papyrus staff, symbol for “to flourish”. The eye of Horus was also used as a protection against the evil eye. From the late old kingdom, two oudjat eyes were placed on the door recesses of tombs.

Egyptian Musicians - Tomb of Nakht, Egypt. Dynasty XVIII 1450 B.C : According to the great quantity of musical instruments found in the tombs, music was a source of pleasure and relaxation for rich Egyptians. The main instrument was the harp, followed by the flute. In this representation of a painting in the tomb of Nakht (an astronomer of the God Amun during the kingdom of Amenhotep III) we see a flute player, A harp player and a youth playing the norva; the latter one being close to our banjo and made out of a turtle shell. The three instrumentalists are lightly dressed with transparent clothes and veils. They have incense sticks over the head to perfume the body and hair.

The Breath of Life - Valley of the Queens, Luxor, Egypt. Dynasty xix 1270 B.C. : The tomb of Nefertari, from which this wall fragment comes, is the largest architectural and decorative enterprise ever dedicated to a Pharaoh’s wife. Nefertari was the chief Queen and favorite wife of Ramses II. The name Nefertari means “the most beautiful of them”. Ramses II devoted the minor temple of Abu Simbel to the Goddess Hathor and dedicated it to Nefertari. There, identified with the Goddess, Nefertari intensely participated in the divine cult. Nefertari gave Ramses II his firstborn son as well as three other sons and two daughters. Nefertari died in her forties. Here, Nefertari receives the breath of life from Isis, the Mother Goddess

King Tutankhamun & Wife Ankhesenamun - Egyptian Museum, Cairo. Dynasty XVIII 1333-1323 B.C. : This scene is a detail from the shrine of Tutankhamun and shows the King and his wife Ankhesenamun in a boat made of papyrus stems navigating through the papyrus marshes. Despite the richness of his burial, Tutankhamun remains an enigmatic figure. He died as young as 16 or 17 years of age. He was probably a son of King Akhenaton by one of his secondary wives. His wife Ankhesenamun was daughter of Akhenaton and Nefertiti. Tutankhamun came to the throne as a young child and ruled for about nine years under the regency of Vizier Ay and the strong influence of the army commander Horemheb. The main events of his reign were to move the capital of Egypt back from El-Amarna to Memphis and to begin the transiton from the monotheistic cult of Aton created by Akhenaton back to the polytheistic religion of Egypt with Amun-Ra again as the main God.

Winged Maat Paying Homage to Hathor - Valley of the Queens, Egypt. Dynasty XIX 1270 B.C. : This scene shows the Goddess Maat kneeling with her wings extended in a pose of paying homage to the Goddess Hathor who is seated on a throne. Maat is the Goddess of Truth and Justice who personifies cosmic order and harmony as established by the Creator-God at the beginning of time. Her symbol is an ostrich feather on her head. Hathor is the great Sky-Goddess often represented as a cow who became known as a universal Mother-Goddess. Hathor was the Goddess of joy and motherhood and the embodiment of all that is best in women. Hathor was also considered the Goddess of music, dance, light-hearted pleasure and love. She was considered the protectress of pregnant women and midwives.

Egyptian Musicians - Tomb of Nakht, Egypt. Dynasty XVIII 1450 B.C. : According to the great quantity of musical instruments found in the tombs, music was a source of pleasure and relaxation for rich Egyptians. The main instrument was the harp, followed by the flute. In this representation of a painting in the tomb of Nakht (an astronomer of the God Amun during the kingdom of Amenhotep III) we see a flute player, A harp player and a youth playing the norva; the latter one being close to our banjo and made out of a turtle shell. The three instrumentalists are lightly dressed with transparent clothes and veils. They have incense sticks over the head to perfume the body and hair.

Ptolemaic Relief, Painted - British Museum, London. 200 B.C. : This relief shows a scene of an offering where the Pharaoh Ptolemy V offers the spiritual inner eyes of Horus, to Horus, seated on the throne. Horus was the son of Isis and Osiris. They form the fundamental triad of the Egyptian religion. Traditionally, Horus is considered the first Pharaoh of Egypt and at later times, the spiritual King where the Pharaoh is only his representative. This sculpture originates from the Ptolemaic period which began when Alexander the Great conquered Egypt from the Persians in 332 B.C. The Pharaohs of this period were Greek but even so they not only respected the Egyptian traditions but also dedicated large funds for the reconstruction of many temples especially in Upper Egypt like the temple of Hathor at Dendera, the temple of Horus at Edfu and the temple of Khnum at Esna.

King Akhenaton Offering to Aton - Egyptian Museum, Cairo. Dynasty XVIII 1370 B.C : Akhenaton, originally named Amenhotep IV, ruled Egypt for 17 years (1367-1350 b.c.) together with his beautiful Queen Nefertiti, he was Son of Amenhotep III. The priesthood of Amun at Thebes, enormously enriched by the tribute donated by the Pharaohs to the God, became the real power. Like his father before him, Akhenaton initially recognized the power of the priests of Amun at Thebes but after the fifth year of his reign, he changed the state cult of Amun to that of Aten, the unique God represented as the sun-disk with its rays ending in small hands. He also assumed the name Akhenaton (“the glory of the Aten”). This began two decades of religious reforms overthrowing millenia of traditional religious and civil life. Here, Akhenaton together with his wife Nefertiti and one of their daughters are seen worshipping the Aten.

Kneeling Winged Isis : This sculpture shows Isis with her wings extended in a pose of protection. The name Isis means "Seat" or "Throne". She was regarded as the symbolical mother of the King. In myth she sought her dead husband and brother, Osiris, conceived her son Horus by him, buried him and mourned him together with her sister Nephtys. Isis was regarded as the “Eye of Ra” and was worshipped as the "Great of Magic" who had protected her son Horus from snakes, predators and other dangers; thus she would protect mortal children also. In the New Kingdom Isis was closely connected with Hathor whose physical attributes, the cow's horns and sun-disk she adopted.

Pyramid of the Gods : Ancient Egyptians saw the pyramid as the primeval hill, rising from the waters of the beginning, the creator’s birthplace and throne. The pyramid capstone was their point of contact with the Gods and was related to the rising sun. The king who was buried in the pyramid entered into office in the celestial beyond as the son of Ra. Each one of the four sides of this pyramid is dedicated to a particular God or Goddess. One side is dedicated to Horus, the falcon headed God that represents divine kingship. Another side shows the Goddess Isis, the Mother Goddess, “Great of Magic” wearing the horns and sun disk on her headdress. Another side represents the Goddess Sekhmet, “The Mighty One”, “The Eye of Ra”, Goddess of War as well as healing, represented with a lion’s head. The fourth side shows Amun, supreme state God, “The One Who Abides in All Things”, identified with the Sun God, wearing a crown surmounted by two high plumes.

Bust of Queen Hatshepsut - Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. 18th Dynasty 1500 B.C. : Upon the death of her father, Tuthmosis I, Hatshepsut became sole legitimate heir. Tradition demanded however, that only a male heir could ascend the throne. Hatshepsut married her half-brother Tuthmosis II, who died prematurely. Once again it was a stepson, Tuthmosis III, born of a concubine, who was crowned. Serving first as a regent for the young king, Hatshepsut assumed the royal title in the second year and ruled egypt for two prosperous and relatively peaceful decades. This bust derives from one of the statues placed throughout her magnificent funerary temple at Keir el Bahri which was intended to both legitimize and commemorate her rule. The statue shows the great Queen in idealized masculine guise. Nevertheless, the prim little face and the delicate figure give a distinctly feminine impression.

Bust of Cleopatra - Antiken Museum, Berlin. 35 B.C. : The last of the Macedonian rulers of Egypt, Cleopatra VII has been preserved in legend as a woman of formidable intellect and ambition who used her beauty and charm to advance Egypt’s fortunes. In 51 B.C. she became joint ruler with her father Ptolemy XII and then with her brother and husband Ptolemy XIII. When he died in 47 B.C., her younger brother (also her husband) Ptolemy XIV succeeded him. When Ceasar came to Alexandria, Cleopatra persuaded him to support her cause and she regained her throne and jointly ruled with their son Caesarion from 36 B.C. After Caesar’s death, she joined Mark Anthony hoping that he would help to restore Egypt to its past glory by using Rome’s power. Mark Anthony gave Cleopatra much of Rome’s eastern possessions but his Roman rival Octavian used this episode as a pretext to turn the Roman senate against Mark Anthony and begin a war against him & Cleopatra. Augustus Octavian defeated him at the battle of Actium. Anthony and Cleopatra withdrew to Alexandria where they committed suicide. Cleopatra was a remarkable woman and a formidable queen. She was the only Ptolemaic ruler to learn to speak Egyptian.

Bust of Ramses II - Egyptian Museum, Turin, Italy, 1250BC : The most celebrated of all Pharaohs, Ramses II, is well know for the length of his reign, the numerous temples he built and his military campaigns, such as the battle of Kadesh where Ramses II, facing the army of Muwattali, King of the Hittites found himself surrounded by 2500 Hittite Charioteers with only his personal bodyguard to help him. As the enemy closed in around him, Pharaoh leaped into his chariot, tied the reigns around his waist to leave his hands free, sent forth a great cry for help to Amun and charged six times against the Hittites, finally breaking through and winning the battle. Ramses II was the son of Seti I and was crowned Pharaoh in 1290BC. When he was 18 years old. Ramses II had many wives but the first and favorite chief Queen was Nefertari. Ramses died at the age of 85 after ruling Egypt for 67 years. This bust from a seated statue of Ramses II is a portrait of the young King in which grace and grandeur are intermixed.

Winged Isis - Egyptian Museum, Cairo. 20th Dynasty 1150 B.C. : This sculpture shows Isis with her wings extended in a pose of protection, often used to protect her son Horus or her husband Osiris. The name Isis means "Seat" or "Throne". She was regarded as the symbolical mother of the King. In myth she sought her dead husband and brother, Osiris, conceived her son Horus by him, buried and mourned him together with her sister Nephtys. Isis was regarded as the “Eye of Ra” and was worshipped as the "Great of Magic" who had protected her son Horus from snakes, predators and other dangers; thus she would protect mortal children also. In the New Kingdom Isis was closely connected with Hathor whose physical attributes, the cow's horns and sun-disk she adopted. The ancient Egyptians regarded the Goddess as the "Eye of Ra".

Osiris - Egyptian Museum, Cairo. 700 B.C. : Osiris, the Resurrection God, is the central figure in the afterlife myth and in Egyptian mythology as a whole. His name means "The Seat of the Eye". To die and be properly prepared for the other life is to become one with Osiris in the underworld over which he rules. Osiris received earthly rule from his father, Geb. His brother Seth envied his hegemony; he enticed Osiris into a chest and flung him into the Nile. His wife sought and found his body and with her own magic powers and the help of Thoth, Nephthys, Anubis and Horus, restored Osiris to life. Osiris, however already belonged to the world of the dead, and although after his resurrection he could have reclaimed his throne, he preferred to maintain his kingdom in the Land of the Dead, leaving his vindication on earth in the hands of his posthumous son Horus.

Egyptian Cat Bastet - Egyptian Museum, Cairo. 550 B.C. : The first reference to the domestic cat appears in the eleventh dynasty. Because it was hostile to snakes, it became a sacred animal of the Sun God. In the New Kingdom, the male cat was regarded as an incarnation of the Sun God and the female cat was equated with the solar eye. Feline figures may display a scarab, the symbol of the rising sun, engraved on the head or breast thus showing their solar significance. The domestic cat attained special significance as the sacred animal of the Goddess Bastet. Hundreds of figures were set up as votive offerings in the temple at Bubastis in order that the donor might share in the Goddess's grace. Actual mummies of cats were buried by the thousands in special cemeteries in the area.

The Sacred Triad - Isis, Osiris and Horus : This sculpture was dedicated to Horus, Osiris, and Isis, the most important triad of gods in the ancient Egyptian religion. Osiris wears the Atef crown and carries the royal crook and flail, while his son Horus is represented as a falcon-headed man, Isis has on her head the hieroglyph and symbol of her name, Isis, represented as a step throne or seat. She wears an elegant feather dress. Osiris was the god of the underworld and resuscitation while his sister and wife Isis was considered the symbolic mother of the Pharaoh and was worshipped as the “Great of Magic” and regarded as the “Eye of Ra”. Their son Horus is traditionally considered the first Pharaoh of Egypt and at later times, the spiritual king where the Pharaoh is only his representative on Earth.

Mirror of Isis - Louvre Museum, Paris. 21th Dynasty 1000 B.C. : Egyptian mirrors always retained more or less the same shape as a flat, oval plate of polished copper or bronze often with a wooden or bone handle. Since the Middle Kingdom at least, the Sun-Disk provided a model for the mirror as in the case of this reproduction. The handle of this mirror is shaped in the form of the Goddess Isis. In the old Egyptian religion some Goddesses, usually Isis, Hathor and Mut, were presented with two mirrors as a cultic offering.

Egyptian Sphinx - Egyptian Museum, Cairo. 18th Dynasty 1450 B.C. : The word "Sphinx" used by the Greeks derives perhaps from the Egyptian Shesepankh "Living Statue". It designates a type of statue joining a human head to the body of a lion and symbolizes sovereignty combining the strength of the lion with a human intelligence. The Egyptian Sphinx was, with only a few exceptions in representations of some Queens of the Middle Kingdom, shown as male. Also, the Egyptian Sphinx was viewed as benevolent, a guardian, whereas the Greek Sphinx was invariably malevolent towards people. The Sphinx was the embodiment of royal power often shown smiting the King's enemies, or the King himself being represented as a victorious Sphinx trampling on his foes. This Sphinx represents King Thutmosis III wearing a striped "Nemes" headcloth protected by an Uraeus and a false beard.

Egyptian Sphinx - Egyptian Museum, Cairo. 18th Dynasty 1450 B.C. : The word "Sphinx" used by the Greeks derives perhaps from the Egyptian Shesepankh "Living Statue". It designates a type of statue joining a human head to the body of a lion and symbolizes sovereignty combining the strength of the lion with a human intelligence. The Egyptian Sphinx was, with only a few exceptions in representations of some Queens of the Middle Kingdom, shown as male. Also, the Egyptian Sphinx was viewed as benevolent, a guardian, whereas the Greek Sphinx was invariably malevolent towards people. The Sphinx was the embodiment of royal power often shown smiting the King's enemies, or the King himself being represented as a victorious Sphinx trampling on his foes. This Sphinx represents King Thutmosis III wearing a striped "Nemes" headcloth protected by an Uraeus and a false beard.

Egyptian Obelisk - Typicallyin pairs before the entrances to the tombs, : Obelisks are tall, slender four sided shafts carved from a single stone and topped with a point known as a pyramidion. Obelisks were known to the ancient Egyptians as Tekhenu. They were typically inscribed with the names and titles of the king who commissioned them. Obelisks were considered to be sacred to the Sun God Ra, whose main center of worship was at Heliopolis where the oldest surviving monumental obelisk in Egypt still stands. Obelisks were first erected at Heliopolis and the practice was continued throughout the pharaonic period. Obelisks probably evolved from the so-called Benben Stone which resembles the pyramidion of an obelisk and was considered sacred to the Sun God even before the appearance of the first pharaoh. These stones were the fetish of the primeval God Atum (the setting sun) and the God Ra or Ra-Harakhti (the rising sun). The stones were also associated with the Benu-Bird or Phoenix. Some small squat obelisks survive from the early years of dynastic Egypt when they usually stood in pairs before the entrances to the tombs.

Egyptian Scarab - Egyptian Museum, Cairo. New Kingdom, 1550-1196 B.C. : The scarab was associated very early on in Egypt with the generative forces of the rising sun and with the concepts of eternal renewal. The beetle is known for coming out of the sand backwards dragging its ball of dung behind it along the ground before depositing it in underground tunnels as a source of food for its larvae, therefore symbolizing the sun’s daily journey across the heavens from East to West. Because the young beetles seemed to emerge spontaneously from these tunnels, the Egyptians worshipped the scarab under the name Khepri: “He who came forth from the earth” or “He who came into being”. Thus the beetle was equated with the creator Got Atum from early times. Scarabs thus became potent amulets and were often placed upon the breasts of mummies in the position of the heart as a symbol of new life and were then weighed against the feather of truth in the final judgment. They were usually inscribed with part of chapter 30 of the Book of the Dead.

Ramses II Offering a Libation - Egyptian Museum, Cairo. Dynasty XIX 1290-1224 B.C. : The most celebrated of all Pharaohs, Ramses II, is well known for the length of his reign, the numerous temples he built and his military campaigns, such as the battle of Kadesh where Ramses II, facing the army of Muwattali, King of the Hittites found himself surrounded by 2500 Hittite charioteers with only his personal bodyguard to help him. As the enemy closed in around him, Pharaoh leaped into his chariot, tied the reins around his waist to leave his hands free, sent forth a great cry for help to Amun and charged six times against the Hittites, finally breaking through and winning the battle. Ramses II was the son of Seti I and was crowned Pharaoh in 1290 b.c. when he was 18 years old. Ramses II had many wives but the first and favorite chief Queen was Nefertari. Ramses died at the age of 85 after ruling Egypt for 67 years. Here kneeling on a base, wearing a khepresh headdress with Uraeus, Ramses II piously offers libation vessels known as nu-jars, most likely filled with wine or milk.

Egyptian Frog Goddess Heket - Egyptian Museum, Cairo. 664-332 B.C. : The Goddess Heket, who was represented in the form of an Egyptian frog or with a frog’s head, was worshipped especially in the town of Hew-Wer as the female complement of Khnum. Together with other Gods she assisted in fashioning the child in the womb and presided over the birth in her capacity of midwife. Amulets and scarabs worn by women to protect them during childbirth often bear the image of the Frog Goddess. The life-giving powers of Heket enabled her to be adopted as a benign deity fit to accompany Osiris, in whose temble at Abidos she receives wine from King Seti I and is labelled “Mistress of the Two Lands”.

Kuan-Yin in Meditation : Kuan Yin, originally known as Avalokiteswara (‘the Lord who regards’), is a highly revered manifestation of the Buddha who appears in Chinese scriptures around 400 a.d. Kuan Yin means ‘one who hears the cries of the world’ and personifies the compassion of the Buddha for the needy. She is the embodiment of the yin principle. She is usually represented as a young female deity but she has the power to assume whatever form necessary in order to carry out her vow which is to appear in any way necessary to lead beings out of suffering. She is often shown holding a vase containing the waters of compassion,the lotus flower of enlightment or the jewel of three treasures.

Mask of Buddha : Gautama Buddha was born in 563 b.c. in northeast India. The Buddha was the son of the King of the Sakyas. Suddhodana, who ruled at Kapilavastu, on the border of Nepal. His mother was Queen Maya. He was named Siddhartha. He lived amidst the pleasures of palace life and at age 16 he was married to Princess Yasodhara. They had a son named Rahula. After seeing a decrepid old man, an invalid, and an ascetic beggar, he learned of suffering and decided to embrace asceticism. Soon afterwards, at age 29, Siddhartha left the palace and his family and went to a hermitage where he became the monk Gautama, or, as he is still called, Sakyamuni (The ascetic of the Sakyas). One day, meditating under a sacred figtree, he attained perfect illumination (Bodhi). He had become a Buddha. From there on he traveled and preached for 44 years what was to become one of the main religions of the world. He died at Kusinagara at age 80.

Medicine Buddha : Buddha called himself the healer of the suffering world and explained that his Dharma (teaching) was his medicine. In Tibetan Buddhism, the image of Buddha with his bowl of herbal elixers is used to invoke his healing presence. Gautama Buddha was born in 563 b.c. in northeast India. The Buddha was the son of the King of the Sakyas. Suddhodana, who ruled at Kapilavastu, on the border of Nepal. His mother was Queen Maya. He was named Siddhartha. He lived amidst the pleasures of palace life and at age 16 he was married to Princess Yasodhara. They had a son named Rahula. After seeing a decrepid old man, an invalid, and an ascetic beggar, he learned of suffering and decided to embrace asceticism. Soon afterwards, at age 29, Siddhartha left the palace and his family and went to a hermitage where he became the monk Gautama, or, as he is still called, Sakyamuni (The ascetic of the Sakyas). One day, meditating under a sacred figtree, he attained perfect illumination (Bodhi). He had become a Buddha. From there on, he traveled and preached for 44 years what was to become one of the main religions of the world.

Life of Buddha : This sculpture shows key scenes in the life of Buddha beginning with his birth in the lower left corner and also including his illumination and death. Gautama Buddha was born in 563 b.c. in northeast India. The Buddha was the son of the King of the Sakyas. Suddhodana, who ruled at Kapilavastu, on the border of Nepal. His mother was Queen Maya. He was named Siddhartha. He lived amidst the pleasures of palace life and at age 16 he was married to Princess Yasodhara. They had a son named Rahula. After seeing a decrepid old man, an invalid, and an ascetic beggar, he learned of suffering and decided to embrace asceticism. Soon afterwards, at age 29, Siddhartha left the palace and his family and went to a hermitage where he became the monk Gautama, or, as he is still called, Sakyamuni (The ascetic of the Sakyas). One day, meditating under a sacred figtree, he attained perfect illumination (Bodhi). He had become a Buddha. From there on he traveled and preached for 44 years what was to become one of the main religions of the world. He died at Kusinagara at age 80.

Happy Buddha : Often called the Happy Buddha, he is really Hotei, a monk of the T’ang Dynasty. He was known for carrying a sack of candy which he handed out to children in the street. Many Chinese Buddhist believe he was an incarnation of the Buddha Maitreya. Gautama Buddha was born in 563 b.c. in northeast India. The Buddha was the son of the King of the Sakyas. Suddhodana, who ruled at Kapilavastu, on the border of Nepal. His mother was Queen Maya. He was named Siddhartha.

White Tara : Tara’s name means One Who Saves. She epitomizes the influence of the older mother-goddess cults upon the Buddhist Mahayana religion. Her concept evolved in India and later she became the most important goddess in the Mahayana pantheon. She holds a very prominent position in Tibet and Nepal. Tara was born from tears of the left eye of the Boddhisatwa of Compassion, Avolokiteswora. She was conceived primarily as a savioress and is, therefore, the female counterpart of Avolokiteswora. She is also generally regarded as his consort and is frequencly protrayed with him. Tara is believed to protect the human beings while they are crossing the ocean of existence. Her compassion for living beings, her desire to save them from suffering, is said to be stronger than a mother’s love for her children

Buddha : Gautama Buddha was born in 563 b.c. in northeast India. The Buddha was the son of the King of the Sakyas. Suddhodana, who ruled at Kapilavastu, on the border of Nepal. His mother was Queen Maya. He was named Siddhartha. He lived amidst the pleasures of palace life and at age 16 he was married to Princess Yasodhara. They had a son named Rahula. After seeing a decrepid old man, an invalid, and an ascetic beggar, he learned of suffering and decided to embrace asceticism. Soon afterwards, at age 29, Siddhartha left the palace and his family and went to a hermitage where he became the monk Gautama, or, as he is still called, Sakyamuni (The ascetic of the Sakyas). One day, meditating under a sacred figtree, he attained perfect illumination (Bodhi). He had become a Buddha. From there on he traveled and preached for 44 years what was to become one of the main religions of the world. He died at Kusinagara at age 80.

Ganesh : Ganesh, also called Ganapati, the elephant headed God of Wisdom and Success is the defender and remover of obstacles and has to be propritiated first before worshiping other Gods. He is one of the sons of Siva and Parvati. He is known as “Sidhi Data” or bestower of success in the work. His elephant head is believed to be an emblem of wisdom. His head often has one full tusk, while the other is broken. It is said that he lost it in a fight or that he used it to dictate the Maha-Bharata to the sage Vyasa. His mount or standard is a rat, a symbol in Hindu fable of the Sagasity & trickery of this world, much like the fox in the west. So it is natural that the rat should first be conquered, then subdued and employed by the being who represents spiritual strength, whom he was bound to recognise as his superior, since his own cunning would tell him that Ganesh would prove a better guide than even his own perspicacity.

Ganesh Relief : Ganesh, also called Ganapati, the elephant headed God of Wisdom and Success is the defender and remover of obstacles and has to be propritiated first before worshiping other Gods. He is one of the sons of Siva and Parvati. He is known as “Sidhi Data” or bestower of success in the work. His elephant head is believed to be an emblem of wisdom. His head often has one full tusk, while the other is broken. It is said that he lost it in a fight or that he used it to dictate the Maha-Bharata to the sage Vyasa. His mount or standard is a rat, a symbol in Hindu fable of the Sagasity & trickery of this world, much like the fox in the west. So it is natural that the rat should first be conquered, then subdued and employed by the being who represents spiritual strength, whom he was bound to recognise as his superior, since his own cunning would tell him that Ganesh would prove a better guide than even his own perspicacity.

Dancing Ganesh Relief : Ganesh, also called Ganapati, the elephant headed God of Wisdom and Success is the defender and remover of obstacles and has to be propritiated first before worshiping other Gods. He is one of the sons of Siva and Parvati. He is known as “Sidhi Data” or bestower of success in the work. His elephant head is believed to be an emblem of wisdom. His head often has one full tusk, while the other is broken. It is said that he lost it in a fight or that he used it to dictate the Maha-Bharata to the sage Vyasa. His mount or standard is a rat, a symbol in Hindu fable of the Sagasity & trickery of this world, much like the fox in the west. So it is natural that the rat should first be conquered, then subdued and employed by the being who represents spiritual strength, whom he was bound to recognise as his superior, since his own cunning would tell him that Ganesh would prove a better guide than even his own perspicacity.

Kuan-Yin Praying : Kuan Yin, originally known as Avalokiteswara (‘the Lord who regards’), is a highly revered manifestation of the Buddha who appears in Chinese scriptures around 400 a.d. Kuan Yin means ‘one who hears the cries of the world’ and personifies the compassion of the Buddha for the needy. She is the embodiment of the yin principle. She is usually represented as a young female deity but she has the power to assume whatever form necessary in order to carry out her vow which is to appear in any way necessary to lead beings out of suffering. She is here shown with hands together praying to end the suffering of the needy in the world.

Buddha Relief : Gautama Buddha was born in 563 b.c. in northeast India. The Buddha was the son of the King of the Sakyas. Suddhodana, who ruled at Kapilavastu, on the border of Nepal. His mother was Queen Maya. He was named Siddhartha. He lived amidst the pleasures of palace life and at age 16 he was married to Princess Yasodhara. They had a son named Rahula. After seeing a decrepid old man, an invalid, and an ascetic beggar, he learned of suffering and decided to embrace asceticism. Soon afterwards, at age 29, Siddhartha left the palace and his family and went to a hermitage where he became the monk Gautama, or, as he is still called, Sakyamuni (The ascetic of the Sakyas). One day, meditating under a sacred figtree, he attained perfect illumination (Bodhi). He had become a Buddha. From there on he traveled and preached for 44 years what was to become one of the main religions of the world. He died at Kusinagara at age 80.

Thai Buddha Relief : Gautama Buddha was born in 563 b.c. in northeast India. The Buddha was the son of the King of the Sakyas. Suddhodana, who ruled at Kapilavastu, on the border of Nepal. His mother was Queen Maya. He was named Siddhartha. He lived amidst the pleasures of palace life and at age 16 he was married to Princess Yasodhara. They had a son named Rahula. After seeing a decrepid old man, an invalid, and an ascetic beggar, he learned of suffering and decided to embrace asceticism. Soon afterwards, at age 29, Siddhartha left the palace and his family and went to a hermitage where he became the monk Gautama, or, as he is still called, Sakyamuni (The ascetic of the Sakyas). One day, meditating under a sacred figtree, he attained perfect illumination (Bodhi). He had become a Buddha. From there on he traveled and preached for 44 years what was to become one of the main religions of the world. He died at Kusinagara at age 80.

Khmer Buddha Head : Gautama Buddha was born in 563 b.c. in northeast India. The Buddha was the son of the King of the Sakyas. Suddhodana, who ruled at Kapilavastu, on the border of Nepal. His mother was Queen Maya. He was named Siddhartha. He lived amidst the pleasures of palace life and at age 16 he was married to Princess Yasodhara. They had a son named Rahula. After seeing a decrepid old man, an invalid, and an ascetic beggar, he learned of suffering and decided to embrace asceticism. Soon afterwards, at age 29, Siddhartha left the palace and his family and went to a hermitage where he became the monk Gautama, or, as he is still called, Sakyamuni (The ascetic of the Sakyas). One day, meditating under a sacred figtree, he attained perfect illumination (Bodhi). He had become a Buddha. From there on he traveled and preached for 44 years what was to become one of the main religions of the world. He died at Kusinagara at age 80.

Sukhotai Buddha Relief : Gautama Buddha was born in 563 b.c. in northeast India. The Buddha was the son of the King of the Sakyas. Suddhodana, who ruled at Kapilavastu, on the border of Nepal. His mother was Queen Maya. He was named Siddhartha. He lived amidst the pleasures of palace life and at age 16 he was married to Princess Yasodhara. They had a son named Rahula. After seeing a decrepid old man, an invalid, and an ascetic beggar, he learned of suffering and decided to embrace asceticism. Soon afterwards, at age 29, Siddhartha left the palace and his family and went to a hermitage where he became the monk Gautama, or, as he is still called, Sakyamuni (The ascetic of the Sakyas). One day, meditating under a sacred figtree, he attained perfect illumination (Bodhi). He had become a Buddha. From there on he traveled and preached for 44 years what was to become one of the main religions of the world. He died at Kusinagara at age 80.

Khmer Buddha Sheltered by the Naga Snakes : Gautama Buddha was born in 563 b.c. in northeast India. The Buddha was the son of the King of the Sakyas. Suddhodana, who ruled at Kapilavastu, on the border of Nepal. His mother was Queen Maya. He was named Siddhartha. Here the Buddha is depicted in meditation position sheltered by a Naga, it’s body coiled up to serve as a cushion for the Buddha and it’s 7 pronged head spreading over the Buddha’s head as a cover. The Naga is a snakelike animal of Hindu lore. According to legend, the Naga once tried to harm the Buddha but was subdued and became one of the Buddha’s disciples and guardians.

Buddha Relief : Gautama Buddha was born in 563 b.c. in northeast India. The Buddha was the son of the King of the Sakyas. Suddhodana, who ruled at Kapilavastu, on the border of Nepal. His mother was Queen Maya. He was named Siddhartha. He lived amidst the pleasures of palace life and at age 16 he was married to Princess Yasodhara. They had a son named Rahula. After seeing a decrepid old man, an invalid, and an ascetic beggar, he learned of suffering and decided to embrace asceticism. Soon afterwards, at age 29, Siddhartha left the palace and his family and went to a hermitage where he became the monk Gautama, or, as he is still called, Sakyamuni (The ascetic of the Sakyas). One day, meditating under a sacred figtree, he attained perfect illumination (Bodhi). He had become a Buddha. From there on he traveled and preached for 44 years what was to become one of the main religions of the world. He died at Kusinagara at age 80.

Apsara Relief : Apsaras are the beautiful goddesses of water and clouds, heavenly dancers and divine symbols of joy who were born from the foam or milk of the sea and ascended to heaven to entertain an give glory to God. Apsaras are also known as the sensual rewards of kings and heroes who die bravely in Hindu mythology. They always performed with the celestial musicians, Gandharvas, but in Khmer mythology they were elevated alone to special importance in temple decoration specially at the great temple of Angkor Wat where thousands of these graceful females adorn the temple walls. Clad only in a light cloth that hugs the thighs with its ends flying behind and glittering headdresses they are usually represented standing on a lotus blossom or flying in the open air.

Dancing Apsaras Relief : Apsaras are the beautiful goddesses of water and clouds, heavenly dancers and divine symbols of joy who were born from the foam or milk of the sea and ascended to heaven to entertain an give glory to God. Apsaras are also known as the sensual rewards of kings and heroes who die bravely in Hindu mythology. They always performed with the celestial musicians, Gandharvas, but in Khmer mythology they were elevated alone to special importance in temple decoration specially at the great temple of Angkor Wat where thousands of these graceful females adorn the temple walls. Clad only in a light cloth that hugs the thighs with its ends flying behind and glittering headdresses they are usually represented standing on a lotus blossom or flying in the open air.

Brahma Relief : He is the lord of creation and wisdom. Brahma has four faces and at least four hands. The four faces represent the four vedas, and the four hands represent the four directions. The hands hold a book of the vedas (Book of Wisdom & Learning), a string of pearls for counting time, a scepter, a sacrificial spoon which is symbolic of spiritual nature and a water pot to point out that the universe evolved from water symbolizing his function as the creator. In the Upanishads, Brahma is the all-pervading divine essence : everything flowed from this and everything returned to it. Later, legends told that the formless lord of the universe, who existed in himself, created the waters and planted a seed from which a golden egg developed. He was hatched from this egg as Brahma, the absolute creator of the universe. In Hindu cosmology, the time of creation is recorded in the days of the life of Brahma. When Brahma awoke from his sleep and opened his eyes, the universe was created. When he shuts his eyes at the end of the day to go to sleep, the universe comes to an end.

Indian Buddha (Teaching pose) : Gautama Buddha was born in 563 b.c. in northeast India. The Buddha was the son of the King of the Sakyas. Suddhodana, who ruled at Kapilavastu, on the border of Nepal. His mother was Queen Maya. He was named Siddhartha. He lived amidst the pleasures of palace life and at age 16 he was married to Princess Yasodhara. They had a son named Rahula. After seeing a decrepid old man, an invalid, and an ascetic beggar, he learned of suffering and decided to embrace asceticism. Soon afterwards, at age 29, Siddhartha left the palace and his family and went to a hermitage where he became the monk Gautama, or, as he is still called, Sakyamuni (The ascetic of the Sakyas). One day, meditating under a sacred figtree, he attained perfect illumination (Bodhi). He had become a Buddha. From there on he traveled and preached for 44 years what was to become one of the main religions of the world. He died at Kusinagara at age 80.

Royal Ease Kuan-Yin - Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Kansas City 11th-12th century : Kuan Yin, originally known as Avalokiteswara (‘the Lord who regards’), is a highly revered manifestation of the Buddha who appears in Chinese scriptures around 400 a.d. Kuan Yin means ‘one who hears the cries of the world’ and personifies the compassion of the Buddha for the needy. She is the embodiment of the yin principle. She is usually represented as a young female deity but she has the power to assume whatever form necessary in order to carry out her vow which is to appear in any way necessary to lead beings out of suffering. She is often shown holding a vase containing the waters of compassion,the lotus flower of enlightment or the jewel of three treasures.

Buddha Sheltered by the Naga Snakes : Gautama Buddha was born in 563 b.c. in northeast India. The Buddha was the son of the King of the Sakyas. Suddhodana, who ruled at Kapilavastu, on the border of Nepal. His mother was Queen Maya. He was named Siddhartha. 0. Here the Buddha is depicted in meditation position sheltered by a Naga, it’s body coiled up to serve as a cushion for the Buddha and it’s 7 pronged head spreading over the Buddha’s head as a cover. The Naga is a snakelike animal of Hindu lore. According to legend, the Naga once tried to harm the Buddha but was subdued and became one of the Buddha’s disciples and guardians.

Kuan-Yin Standing on a Dragon : Kuan Yin, originally known as Avalokiteswara (‘the Lord who regards’), is a highly revered manifestation of the Buddha who appears in Chinese scriptures around 400 a.d. Kuan Yin means ‘one who hears the cries of the world’ and personifies the compassion of the Buddha for the needy. She is the embodiment of the yin principle. She is usually represented as a young female deity but she has the power to assume whatever form necessary in order to carry out her vow which is to appear in any way necessary to lead beings out of suffering. She is often shown holding a vase containing the waters of compassion,the lotus flower of enlightment or the jewel of three treasures.

Nepali Medicine Buddha : Buddha called himself the healer of the suffering world and explained that his Dharma (teaching) was his medicine. In Tibetan Buddhism, the image of Buddha with his bowl of herbal elixers is used to invoke his healing presence. Gautama Buddha was born in 563 b.c. in northeast India. The Buddha was the son of the King of the Sakyas. Suddhodana, who ruled at Kapilavastu, on the border of Nepal. His mother was Queen Maya. He was named Siddhartha. He lived amidst the pleasures of palace life and at age 16 he was married to Princess Yasodhara. They had a son named Rahula. After seeing a decrepid old man, an invalid, and an ascetic beggar, he learned of suffering and decided to embrace asceticism. Soon afterwards, at age 29, Siddhartha left the palace and his family and went to a hermitage where he became the monk Gautama, or, as he is still called, Sakyamuni (The ascetic of the Sakyas). One day, meditating under a sacred figtree, he attained perfect illumination (Bodhi). He had become a Buddha. From there on, he traveled and preached for 44 years what was to become one of the main religions of the world.

Kuan-Yin with Rosary : Kuan Yin, originally known as Avalokiteswara (the Lord who regards), is a highly revered manifestation of the Buddha who appears in Chinese scriptures around 400 a.d. Kuan Yin means “one who hears the cries of the world” and personifies the compassion of the Buddha for the needy. She is the embodiment of the yin principle. She is usually represented as a young female deity but she has the power to assume whatever form necessary in order to carry out her vow which is to appear in any way necessary to lead beings out of suffering. She is often shown holding a vase containing the waters of compassion, the lotus flower of enlightment or the jewel of three treasures. Here she holds a rosary which is a symbol of her compassion for the world.

Naga Buddha : Gautama Buddha was born in 563 b.c. in northeast India. The Buddha was the son of the King of the Sakyas. Suddhodana, who ruled at Kapilavastu, on the border of Nepal. His mother was Queen Maya. He was named Siddhartha. Here the Buddha is depicted in meditation position sheltered by a Naga, it’s body coiled up to serve as a cushion for the Buddha and it’s 7 pronged head spreading over the Buddha’s head as a cover. The Naga is a snakelike animal of Hindu lore. According to legend, the Naga once tried to harm the Buddha but was subdued and became one of the Buddha’s disciples and guardians.

Green Tara : Tara’s name means One Who Saves. She epitomizes the influence of the older mother-goddess cults upon the Buddhist Mahayana religion. Her concept evolved in India and later she became the most important goddess in the Mahayana pantheon. She holds a very prominent position in Tibet and Nepal. Tara was born from a tear of the Boddhisatwa of Compassion, Avolokiteswora. She was conceived primarily as a savioress and is, therefore, the female counterpart of Avolokiteswora. She is also generally regarded as his consort and is frequencly protrayed with him. Tara is believed to protect the human beings while they are crossing the ocean of existence. Her compassion for living beings, her desire to save them from suffering, is said to be stronger than a mother’s love for her children.

Seated Ganesh : Ganesh, also called Ganapati, the elephant headed God of Wisdom and Success is the defender and remover of obstacles and has to be propritiated first before worshiping other Gods. He is one of the sons of Siva and Parvati. He is known as “Sidhi Data” or bestower of success in the work. His elephant head is believed to be an emblem of wisdom. His head often has one full tusk, while the other is broken. It is said that he lost it in a fight or that he used it to dictate the Maha-Bharata to the sage Vyasa. His mount or standard is a rat, a symbol in Hindu fable of the Sagasity & trickery of this world, much like the fox in the west. So it is natural that the rat should first be conquered, then subdued and employed by the being who represents spiritual strength, whom he was bound to recognise as his superior, since his own cunning would tell him that Ganesh would prove a better guide than even his own perspicacity.

Shiva : Shiva, the destroyer and regenerator forms part of the main hindu trinity of gods together with Brahma, the creater and vishnu, the protector. Shiva is one of the oldest gods of India. Shiva is the god who destroyed creation after every Kalpa, and at the same time he became the great ascetic who preserved the world with his meditation. He was related to aspects of fertility, and his symbos is the lingam, the male reproductive organ and the source of his power. He is usually represented in one of three forms: As Nataraj in a dancing pose, as a lingam (phallus) or as an anthropomorphic form. This sculture show him as Shiva-Dakshina-Murti or Mahayogi, one of the best known depictions of shiva. He is seated on the tops of the Himalayas in deep meditation. His abode is the sacred mountain Kailash. He is wearing a simple loincloth, sometimes with the hide of an antelope around him, and seated on a tiger skin. He wears a moon sickle in his hair and a snake coil around his neck. In his hands he holds a trident and an ax. His attributes include a water jug. His face is turned to the south (Dakshina), the direction which brings good luck. He is the greatest of all the yogi’s.

Brahma : He is the lord of creation and wisdom. Brahma has four faces and at least four hands. The four faces represent the four vedas, and the four hands represent the four directions. The hands hold a book of the vedas (Book of Wisdom & Learning), a string of pearls for counting time, a scepter, a sacrificial spoon which is symbolic of spiritual nature and a water pot to point out that the universe evolved from water symbolizing his function as the creator. In the Upanishads, Brahma is the all-pervading divine essence : everything flowed from this and everything returned to it. Later, legends told that the formless lord of the universe, who existed in himself, created the waters and planted a seed from which a golden egg developed. He was hatched from this egg as Brahma, the absolute creator of the universe. In Hindu cosmology, the time of creation is recorded in the days of the life of Brahma. When Brahma awoke from his sleep and opened his eyes, the universe was created. When he shuts his eyes at the end of the day to go to sleep, the universe comes to an end.

Dancing Ganesh : Ganesh, also called Ganapati, the elephant headed God of Wisdom and Success is the defender and remover of obstacles and has to be propritiated first before worshiping other Gods. He is one of the sons of Siva and Parvati. He is known as “Sidhi Data” or bestower of success in the work. His elephant head is believed to be an emblem of wisdom. His head often has one full tusk, while the other is broken. It is said that he lost it in a fight or that he used it to dictate the Maha-Bharata to the sage Vyasa. His mount or standard is a rat, a symbol in Hindu fable of the Sagasity & trickery of this world, much like the fox in the west. So it is natural that the rat should first be conquered, then subdued and employed by the being who represents spiritual strength, whom he was bound to recognise as his superior, since his own cunning would tell him that Ganesh would prove a better guide than even his own perspicacity

Crawling Baby Ganesh : Ganesh, also called Ganapati, the elephant headed God of Wisdom and Success is the defender and remover of obstacles and has to be propritiated first before worshiping other Gods. He is one of the sons of Siva and Parvati. He is known as “Sidhi Data” or bestower of success in the work. His elephant head is believed to be an emblem of wisdom. His head often has one full tusk, while the other is broken. It is said that he lost it in a fight or that he used it to dictate the Maha-Bharata to the sage Vyasa. His mount or standard is a rat, a symbol in Hindu fable of the Sagasity & trickery of this world, much like the fox in the west. So it is natural that the rat should first be conquered, then subdued and employed by the being who represents spiritual strength, whom he was bound to recognise as his superior, since his own cunning would tell him that Ganesh would prove a better guide than even his own perspicacity

Reclining Ganesh : Ganesh, also called Ganapati, the elephant headed God of Wisdom and Success is the defender and remover of obstacles and has to be propritiated first before worshiping other Gods. He is one of the sons of Siva and Parvati. He is known as “Sidhi Data” or bestower of success in the work. His elephant head is believed to be an emblem of wisdom. His head often has one full tusk, while the other is broken. It is said that he lost it in a fight or that he used it to dictate the Maha-Bharata to the sage Vyasa. His mount or standard is a rat, a symbol in Hindu fable of the Sagasity & trickery of this world, much like the fox in the west. So it is natural that the rat should first be conquered, then subdued and employed by the being who represents spiritual strength, whom he was bound to recognise as his superior, since his own cunning would tell him that Ganesh would prove a better guide than even his own perspicacity

Greek Sphinx - Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. 540-530 B.C. : This sphinx was a part of a Attic grave monument of the middle archaic period that reflected the opulence of the wealthy class of that time. The sphinx was placced atop a tall shaft, decorated with high relief sculpture and crowned by a cavetto capital. The shaft was supported by a rectangular base. All together the monument stands over 13 feet high. The sphinx is shown crouching instead of seated. The greek sphinx had a woman’s head, lion’s body, serpent’s tail and eagle’s wind. In Greek myth the sphinx was sent by Hera to punish Thebes for displeasing the Goddess. The sphinx settled on Mount Phicium, near the city and asked everyone who passed by to answer a riddle she had learned from the three muses: “What being, with only one voice, has sometimes two feet, sometimes three, sometimes four and is weakest when it has the most?” Anyone unable to render the correct answer was immediately slain. One day Oedipus chanced along that road and guessed the answer: “Man, because he crawls on all four as an infant, stands firmly on his two feet in his youth and leans on a staff in his old age.” Completely shattered by her defeat, the sphinx threw herself from the mountain and Oedipus was acclaimed king.

Parthenon Horse - Parthenon Temple, Athens. 465 B.C. : Horses were an integral part of life in ancient Greece. They played an active role in warfare, transportation and in the games such as the Panathenaic Games in Athens with its huge contingent of cavalry riders. Athenian enthusiasm for the horse was clearly expressed in the many civic buildings and temples that were adorned with paintings and sculptures of riders and battle scenes showing cavalry such as in the Parthenon friezes where this wonderful horse head originates. Two deities, Poseidon and Athena, together served as protectors of horses and patrons of horsemanship and equestrian activities. Athena, Patron Goddess of Athens, was credited with the invention of the bridle and the use of chariots. The horse was a symbol of prestige, wealth and status. Social rank has often been defined by the ability to own and maintain a horse. The Aristocratic families that ruled Athens during the 6th century B.C. often took pride in their nobility by starting or ending their name with the word hippos (horse). The aristocracy bred and raced horses from very early times and it seems that chariot racing was the preferred form of competition and maybe the foundation of the Olympic Games

Head of Hygeia - National Archaeological Museum, Athens. 360 B.C. : She was the daughter of Asclepios, the God of medicine. She was worshipped as the Goddess of Health. Her worship probably started in the 4th century at Epidauros in association with the great temple to Asclepios that was bringing thousands of infirm people to that city for medical assistance. The beautiful marble head from which this reproduction was made has a divine sweetness and is thought to have been the work of Skopas, one of the three greatest sculptors of the 4th century B.C. It probably belonged to a statue which stood in the temple of Athena Alea at Tegea in the Peleponnese

Head of Pan - National Museum, Athens. 460 B.C. : A God of shepherds and flocks, he was depicted with a reed pipe, a shepherd's crook and being half-man half-goat, with horns, a goat's beard and goat legs. He personifies humanity's animal nature. He was a popular God, though never part of the official Olympian pantheon. Pan has much in common with Dionysos in that he is associated with wine, sex, and passion in general. A Homeric hymm says that he was the son of Hermes by a daughter of Dryops. Pan's mother was frightened by her monstrous offspring, so Hermes took him to Olympus. The Gods were delighted with the child, especially Dionysos, and he was given the name Pan because he made them all happy. (In Greek, Pan means "All").

Pan Statue : A God of shepherds and flocks, he was depicted with a reed pipe, a shepherd's crook and being half-man half-goat, with horns, a goat's beard and goat legs. He personifies humanity's animal nature. He was a popular God, though never part of the official Olympian pantheon. Pan has much in common with Dionysos in that he is associated with wine, sex, and passion in general. A Homeric hymm says that he was the son of Hermes by a daughter of Dryops. Pan's mother was frightened by her monstrous offspring, so Hermes took him to Olympus. The Gods were delighted with the child, especially Dionysos, and he was given the name Pan because he made them all happy. (In Greek, Pan means "All").

Aphrodite of Melos - Louvre Museum, Paris, 200BC : Her graceful body symbolizes an ideal of beauty that many long for but none attain. The French named her the Venus of Milo. In 1820 a peasant named Yorgos found her broken body in an underground cavern on the Aegean island of Melos. Later she was taken out of Greece under unclear circumstances to be taken to Paris where she was to be admired by the millions of visitors to that country's great museum-the Louvre! Aphrodite was the Goddess of Love, identified in Rome with Venus. Although Homer describes Aphrodite as the daughter of Zeus and Dion, the more popular view was that she was conceived in the foam of the ocean from the seed of Uranus. Dropped there when he was castrated, her name meaning "foam-born". Aphrodite was married to Hephaestus, but she loved Ares and she was known for her many love affairs, notably with Adonis and Anchises.

The Contemplative Athena Relief - Acropolis Museum, Athens. 460 B.C. : Athena was the Goddess of wisdom and women's crafts in the mythology of the Greeks. She was also a defender against evil and as such she was a warrior Goddess par excellence. She was the daughter of Zeus and Metis. When Metis became pregnant, Gaia and Uranus told Zeus that after giving birth to a daughter, she would then have a son by Zeus who would later dethrone him. On Gaia's advice, Zeus swallowed Metis. When the time came for the child to be born, Zeus was afflicted with a dreadful headache and sought the help of Hephaestus who split his skull with a bronze axe to relieve the pain. A girl in full armor sprang forth from his head: It was Athena. Athena's attributes were the spear, the helmet and the Aegis (a goat-skin shield). She attached the Gorgon's head which Perseus had given her to her shield, and this turned to stone every living thing that looked at it.

Mask of Pan : A God of shepherds and flocks, he was depicted with a reed pipe, a shepherd's crook and being half-man half-goat, with horns, a goat's beard and goat legs. He personifies humanity's animal nature. He was a popular God, though never part of the official Olympian pantheon. Pan has much in common with Dionysos in that he is associated with wine, sex, and passion in general. A Homeric hymn says that he was the son of Hermes by a daughter of Dryops. Pan's mother was frightened by her monstrous offspring, so Hermes took him to Olympus. The Gods were delighted with the child, especially Dionysos, and he was given the name Pan because he made them all happy. (In Greek, Pan means "All").

Demeter Relief - Versailles Municipal Library, France. 18th century : This medallion represents Demeter, maternal Goddess of the Earth, and especially of cultivated land. One of her attributes is wheat, shown here on her head. The adventures of Demeter and her daughter Persephone constitute the central myth of The Eleusinian Mysteries, the most important mysteries of classic Greece.

Poseidon Relief : Poseidon was above all, the God of the Sea, who was capable of calming the waves or of summoning up terrible storms and so taking the lives of those who displayed disrespect for him. One of the twelve Olympic Gods, he was brother of the mighty Zeus and son of Cronus and Rhea. Poseidon helped Zeus in the Battle of the Titans and received his famous trident, which became his symbol from the Cyclopes. He also contributed to the victory of the Gods in the Battle of the Giants. Zeus, Poseidon and Hades shared out power over the cosmos. Zeus was given the sky, Poseidon the sea, and Hades the underworld. He was usually depicted voyaging across the waves in his golden chariot, drawen by monstrous animals, hald horse and half serpent, surrounded by dolphins, nereids, and the other creatures of the deep. Poseidon was the progenitor of many mythical heroes such as Proteus, Orion, Theseus, etc.

Fauns pressing grapes - The Louvre Museum, Paris. 18th century : This Neo-classic sculpture represents the “Lenea” or festival of the wine-pressing which is an Athenian fertility celebration in honor of Dionysos (also known as Bacchus in Rome), the Dionysian mysteries being one of the main components of the old Greek religion. As the wine was sacred to Dionysos, the grapes became one of his main attributes and symbols. The followers of Dionysos likened the plucking, crushing and pressing of the grape to form a pleasing nectar to the progress of the soul, which is formed whole and then crushed and pressed into shape by the trials of its earthly adventures, eventually to re-emerge as a refined and useful intelligence. This analogy was seen in the life of Dionysos himself, whose purification by way of madness and suffering finally gained him admittance to Olympus.

Fauns and Bacchantes Dancing - The Louvre Museum, Paris. 18th century : This sculpture shows a celebration by the fauns (male followers of Dionysos) and the Bacchantes or Maenads who were women followers of Dionysos frenzied with wine that rushed through woods and mountains swept away in a fierce ecstasy. They celebrated his orgies with drunkenness, nakedness, singing and sacramental feasting. The Gods of Olympus loved order and beauty in their sacrifices and their temples. The madwomen, the Bacchantes, had no temples. They went to the wilderness to worship. There was much that was lovely, good and freeing in this worship under the open sky and yet alway present, too, was the horrible bloody feast. The worship of Dionysos was centered in these two ideas so far apart-of freedom and ecstatic joy and of savage brutality. The God of wine could give either of them to his worshippers. Throughout the story of his life, he is sometimes man’s blessing, sometimes his ruin.

Celtic Cross : The Celts were the ancient inhabitants of much of Europe. A spiritual people, their rich mythology and symbology later merged with the Christian beliefs they embraced to create a distinctive art seen especially in Ireland and Scotland. The Celtic Cross is known throughout the world as the emblem of Celtic Christianity and it can be considered the symbol of Celticness itself. Celtic Crosses began to appear during the fifth century A.D., it’s shape is derived from a pagan sun symbol, the sunwheel, which later became a symbol of the Christian Godhead. The sunwheel was originally a cross surrounded by a circle with a center stone representing the sun and “mock suns” at the four quarters. The stone at the center of the circle also represents the navel of the world. The stone pillar of the cross also embodies phallic and fertility characteristics. The cross represents eternal life; it’s horizontal axis being the earthly world and the vertical axis the heavenly world coming together as the union of Heaven and Earth. Celtic Crosses are imbued with continuous and interwoven knot and spiral motifs symbolizing the continuity of life, death and rebirth. Celtic Crosses often have images of the Christian cruxifiction, patriarchs and saints.

Pictish Cross : The Celts were the ancient inhabitants of much of Europe. A spiritual people, their rich mythology and symbology later merged with the Christian beliefs they embraced to create a distinctive art seen especially in Ireland and Scotland. The Celtic Cross is known throughout the world as the emblem of Celtic Christianity and it can be considered the symbol of Celticness itself. Celtic Crosses began to appear during the fifth century A.D., it’s shape is derived from a pagan sun symbol, the sunwheel, which later became a symbol of the Christian Godhead. The sunwheel was originally a cross surrounded by a circle with a center stone representing the sun and “mock suns” at the four quarters. The stone at the center of the circle also represents the navel of the world. The stone pillar of the cross also embodies phallic and fertility characteristics. The cross represents eternal life; it’s horizontal axis being the earthly world and the vertical axis the heavenly world coming together as the union of Heaven and Earth. Celtic Crosses are imbued with continuous and interwoven knot and spiral motifs symbolizing the continuity of life, death and rebirth. Celtic Crosses often have images of the Christian cruxifiction, patriarchs and saints.

Celtic Sun Cross - County Kilkenny, Ireland. 900 A.D. : The Celts were the ancient inhabitants of much of Europe. A spiritual people, their rich mythology and symbology later merged with the Christian beliefs they embraced to create a distinctive art seen especially in Ireland and Scotland. The Celtic Cross is known throughout the world as the emblem of Celtic Christianity and it can be considered the symbol of Celticness itself. Celtic Crosses began to appear during the fifth century A.D., it’s shape is derived from a pagan sun symbol, the sunwheel, which later became a symbol of the Christian Godhead. The sunwheel was originally a cross surrounded by a circle with a center stone representing the sun and “mock suns” at the four quarters. The stone at the center of the circle also represents the navel of the world. The stone pillar of the cross also embodies phallic and fertility characteristics. The cross represents eternal life; it’s horizontal axis being the earthly world and the vertical axis the heavenly world coming together as the union of Heaven and Earth. Celtic Crosses are imbued with continuous and interwoven knot and spiral motifs symbolizing the continuity of life, death and rebirth. Celtic Crosses often have images of the Christian cruxifiction, patriarchs and saints.

Celtic Cross : The Celts were the ancient inhabitants of much of Europe. A spiritual people, their rich mythology and symbology later merged with the Christian beliefs they embraced to create a distinctive art seen especially in Ireland and Scotland. The Celtic Cross is known throughout the world as the emblem of Celtic Christianity and it can be considered the symbol of Celticness itself. Celtic Crosses began to appear during the fifth century A.D., it’s shape is derived from a pagan sun symbol, the sunwheel, which later became a symbol of the Christian Godhead. The sunwheel was originally a cross surrounded by a circle with a center stone representing the sun and “mock suns” at the four quarters. The stone at the center of the circle also represents the navel of the world. The stone pillar of the cross also embodies phallic and fertility characteristics. The cross represents eternal life; it’s horizontal axis being the earthly world and the vertical axis the heavenly world coming together as the union of Heaven and Earth. Celtic Crosses are imbued with continuous and interwoven knot and spiral motifs symbolizing the continuity of life, death and rebirth. Celtic Crosses often have images of the Christian cruxifiction, patriarchs and saints.

Celtic Sun Cross - County Kilkenny, Ireland. 900 A.D. : The Celts were the ancient inhabitants of much of Europe. A spiritual people, their rich mythology and symbology later merged with the Christian beliefs they embraced to create a distinctive art seen especially in Ireland and Scotland. The Celtic Cross is known throughout the world as the emblem of Celtic Christianity and it can be considered the symbol of Celticness itself. Celtic Crosses began to appear during the fifth century A.D., it’s shape is derived from a pagan sun symbol, the sunwheel, which later became a symbol of the Christian Godhead. The sunwheel was originally a cross surrounded by a circle with a center stone representing the sun and “mock suns” at the four quarters. The stone at the center of the circle also represents the navel of the world. The stone pillar of the cross also embodies phallic and fertility characteristics. The cross represents eternal life; it’s horizontal axis being the earthly world and the vertical axis the heavenly world coming together as the union of Heaven and Earth. Celtic Crosses are imbued with continuous and interwoven knot and spiral motifs symbolizing the continuity of life, death and rebirth. Celtic Crosses often have images of the Christian cruxifiction, patriarchs and saints.

Coronation scene of Seti I, Painted - Temple of Abidos, Egypt. 19th. Dynasty 1317 B.C. : This relief shows King Seti I on his throne at his coronation carrying the crook and flail scepters symbols of kingship, wearing the Atef crown and supported on one side by Edjo, the cobra Goddess of Upper Egypt and by Nekhbet, the vulture Goddess of Lower Egypt in the missing part of the relief, both in the guise of elegant Queens. A capable ruler, excellent field commander and energetic builder, Seti I embarked on a series of military campaigns in an effort to secure the boundaries of Egypt, echoing the achievement of Kings of the XVIII dynasty before Akhenaten. The sculpted reliefs of this reign attained a degree of refinement rarely excelled, particularly in the colorful scenes of the Abydos temple and his royal tomb in the Valley of the Kings. The tomb, the deepest and longest in the valley, established an entirely new type of layout, an extended tunnel decorated with elaborate representations of the journey of the sun, incorporating the king, through the night sky and the mysteries of solar rebirth. Seti I was seceded by his son, the famous Ramses II The Great.

Coronation scene of Seti I - Temple of Abidos, Egypt. 19th. Dynasty 1317 B.C. : This relief shows King Seti I on his throne at his coronation carrying the crook and flail scepters symbols of kingship, wearing the Atef crown and supported on one side by Edjo, the cobra Goddess of Upper Egypt and by Nekhbet, the vulture Goddess of Lower Egypt in the missing part of the relief, both in the guise of elegant Queens. A capable ruler, excellent field commander and energetic builder, Seti I embarked on a series of military campaigns in an effort to secure the boundaries of Egypt, echoing the achievement of Kings of the XVIII dynasty before Akhenaten. The sculpted reliefs of this reign attained a degree of refinement rarely excelled, particularly in the colorful scenes of the Abydos temple and his royal tomb in the Valley of the Kings. The tomb, the deepest and longest in the valley, established an entirely new type of layout, an extended tunnel decorated with elaborate representations of the journey of the sun, incorporating the king, through the night sky and the mysteries of solar rebirth. Seti I was seceded by his son, the famous Ramses II The Great.

Egyptian Pricess Relief, Painted - Temple of Abidos, Egypt. 19th. Dynasty 1317 B.C. : Her name was Nes-Amun. She was one of the more than fifty daughters of Ramses II. Princesses were called Royal Daughters. They often had their own palaces or at least their own compound within the palace with an extensive staff of attendants. Sometimes the older daughter would marry their father after the death of their mother thus becoming the new Chief Queen. Often when a brother became king, he would marry the older sister probably following the tradition of the gods Osiris and Isis, who were brother and sister as well as husband and wife. A princess was often very involved in religious duties usually as priestesses of the goddess Hathor. In this wall fragment, Nes-Amun wears an elaborate wig and a white linen dress while presenting an offering to a deity.

Egyptian Pricess Relief - Temple of Abidos, Egypt. 19th. Dynasty 1317 B.C. : Her name was Nes-Amun. She was one of the more than fifty daughters of Ramses II. Princesses were called Royal Daughters. They often had their own palaces or at least their own compound within the palace with an extensive staff of attendants. Sometimes the older daughter would marry their father after the death of their mother thus becoming the new Chief Queen. Often when a brother became king, he would marry the older sister probably following the tradition of the gods Osiris and Isis, who were brother and sister as well as husband and wife. A princess was often very involved in religious duties usually as priestesses of the goddess Hathor. In this wall fragment, Nes-Amun wears an elaborate wig and a white linen dress while presenting an offering to a deity.

Anubis Relief, Painted - Temple of Abidos, Egypt. 19th.Dynasty 1317 B.C. : Anubis, God of the Dead, represented with a head of a jackal or simply as a jackal opened the road to the other world and presided over embalmments. After a funeral, Anubis would take the deceased by the hand and introduce him into the presence of the sovereign judges where the soul of the deceased would be weighed. Anubis was the Guardian of Offerings brought to the ceremony by heirs of the deceased and he also guarded the mummy from evil forces in the night. When the body was embalmed, a priest wearing a jackal mask acted as Anubis's representative. He also was the guardian of the Sacred Esoteric Mysteries. The origin of this God lay in the fact that jackals could be heard howling in the desert to the west of the Nile at sunset-at the time when burials took place. Here, Anubis is shown carrying the long ‘was’ scepter and the crook and flail, symbols of kingship.

Anubis Relief - Temple of Abidos, Egypt. 19th.Dynasty 1317 B.C. : Anubis, God of the Dead, represented with a head of a jackal or simply as a jackal opened the road to the other world and presided over embalmments. After a funeral, Anubis would take the deceased by the hand and introduce him into the presence of the sovereign judges where the soul of the deceased would be weighed. Anubis was the Guardian of Offerings brought to the ceremony by heirs of the deceased and he also guarded the mummy from evil forces in the night. When the body was embalmed, a priest wearing a jackal mask acted as Anubis's representative. He also was the guardian of the Sacred Esoteric Mysteries. The origin of this God lay in the fact that jackals could be heard howling in the desert to the west of the Nile at sunset-at the time when burials took place. Here, Anubis is shown carrying the long ‘was’ scepter and the crook and flail, symbols of kingship.

The offering of Maat, Painted - Temple of Abydos, Egypt - 1317B.C. : Here, Pharaoh Seti I, (father of Ramses II) is seen offering to the Gods the seated image of Maat, held in his hand like a doll. The Goddess Maat is the personification of all the elements of cosmic harmony as established by the Creator-God at the beginning of time-including truth, justice, law, world order and moral integrity. She is shown as a lady wearing on her head an ostrich feather. This scene establishes the king as the representative of divine order since Maat was seen legitimizing his authority to govern and to uphold the laws of the universe which she embodies.

The offering of Maat - Temple of Abydos, Egypt - 1317B.C. : Here, Pharaoh Seti I, (father of Ramses II) is seen offering to the Gods the seated image of Maat, held in his hand like a doll. The Goddess Maat is the personification of all the elements of cosmic harmony as established by the Creator-God at the beginning of time-including truth, justice, law, world order and moral integrity. She is shown as a lady wearing on her head an ostrich feather. This scene establishes the king as the representative of divine order since Maat was seen legitimizing his authority to govern and to uphold the laws of the universe which she embodies.

Egyptian Priest Relief, Painted - Temple of Abidos, Egypt. 19th. Dynasty 1317 B.C. : This relief depicts the young prince Seti I with his arm raised in the summoning position as part of a religious ritual. Here, he is serving in a priestly function as a innmutef priest symbolizing the divine child Horus with hair in a sidelock to represent youth and dressed with a leopard skin. As the eldest son of the royal family who cared for the deceased king he summons the revered spirit of the King, now identified with Osiris, and pronounces a formula before the image of his father Ramses I. A capable ruler, excellent field commander and energetic builder, Seti I embarked on a series of military campaigns in an effort to secure the boundaries of Egypt. Echoing the achievements of kings of the XVIII dynasty before Akhenaten, he inaugurated a major program to build and refurbish religious monuments at Thebes and Abydos. He took the additional title of “Repeater of births” to indicate that he regarded himself as the inaugurator of a new era. Seti I was seceded by his son, the famous Ramses II the Great.

Egyptian Priest Relief - Temple of Abidos, Egypt. 19th. Dynasty 1317 B.C. : This relief depicts the young prince Seti I with his arm raised in the summoning position as part of a religious ritual. Here, he is serving in a priestly function as a innmutef priest symbolizing the divine child Horus with hair in a sidelock to represent youth and dressed with a leopard skin. As the eldest son of the royal family who cared for the deceased king he summons the revered spirit of the King, now identified with Osiris, and pronounces a formula before the image of his father Ramses I. A capable ruler, excellent field commander and energetic builder, Seti I embarked on a series of military campaigns in an effort to secure the boundaries of Egypt. Echoing the achievements of kings of the XVIII dynasty before Akhenaten, he inaugurated a major program to build and refurbish religious monuments at Thebes and Abydos. He took the additional title of “Repeater of births” to indicate that he regarded himself as the inaugurator of a new era. Seti I was seceded by his son, the famous Ramses II the Great.

Archangel Gabriel (LARGE) sounding the trumpet - Church of San Michelle, Florence, Italy. 1359 A.D. : Gabriel means “God is my strength”. Gabriel is the Angel of annunciation, resurrection, mercy, vengeance, death and revelation. Gabriel is the ruler of heaven and ruler of the Cherubim. Gabriel is said to sit on the left hand side of God. Mohammed claimed it was Gabriel who dictated to him the Koran. In Jewish legend it was Gabriel who dealt death and destruction to Sodom and Gommorah. Gabriel appeared to Daniel to tell him of the coming of a Messiah: a message which later he repeats to Mary in the annunciation. Earlier he had announced to Zacharias the coming of John the Baptist.

Aztec Solar Calendar - Antropological Museum, Mexico City. 1500 A.D : The Aztec calendar set out the mathematical formulas according to which the whole universe was organized and which governed the actions of men and Gods alike. The calendar is actually two: the Xiupohualli or the count of the days and the Tonalpohualli or the count of destiny. The calendar had to be consulted through the priests before engaging in any activity whether it was farming, warfare, religion or commerce. In addition to the count of the days, it also has astronomical data like the phases of the moon and Venus and the years of Mercury and Mars. The calendar also mentions the four eras of humanity known as ‘suns’ before our own: all ended in cataclysm. The sun that is now ours, the fifth one, Nahui Ollin (“four earthquake”) is supposed to end by cataclysmic earthquakes. The Aztecs attributed the invention of the calendar to the God Quetzalcoatl. The calandar weighs 25 tons and has a diameter of eleven feet.

Aztec Double-Headed Serpent - British Museum, London. 15th century : Splendid relic of the Aztecs, who rose from squalid origins to power and riches in just 200 years, this double-headed rattlesnake serpent was used as a ceremonial chest ornament that may have been worn by a priest. It is incrusted with scales of turquoise, a stone the Aztecs imported from the outposts of their empire to adorn some of their most beautiful possessions. This piece is the work of a Mixtec jeweller, and dates from the 15th century. Mixtec craftsmanship was highly prized; an entire enclave of artisans from this culture lived in the Aztec city of Tenochtitlan. In mesoamerican culture, serpents were very important religious symbols, the shedding of their skin made them a symbol of rebirth and renewal. One of the main mesoamerican deities, Quetzalcoatl, was represented as a feathered serpent.

Tablet of the Foliated Tree of Life - Temple of the Foliated Cross, Palenque, Mexico. 698 A.D. : The original of this tablet is located in the temple of the foliated cross, one of the three temples in Palenque, known as the Group of the Cross, built by King Chan-Bahlum to commemorate and celebrate his accession rites to the throne after the death of his father, king Pacal. The tablet shows Chan Bahlum on the left side, dressed simply with a loin cloth and his long hair wrapped in readiness to don the heavy headdress of kingship. His father Pacal stands on the other side, dressed in burial apparel. Pacal holds the insignia of royal power, the passing of authority will occur at the end of ten days of accession rites. In the center we see a variant of the tree of life formed by a maize plant rising from a band of water and the Kan-cross Waterlily Monster, which symbolizes the waters of the earth as the source of life. In the crown of the tree sits a huge water bird wearing the mask of the Celestial Bird. The branches of the tree are ears of maize manifested as human heads since in Maya tradition, human flesh was made from maize dough. Pacal is shown giving to his son a personified bloodletter, an instrument for bloodletting rituals and vision quests. It drew the blood of the King and brought on the trance that opened the portal to Shivalva (the Maya underworld) and brought forth the Gods.

Maya Tablet of the Sun - Temple of the Sun, Palenque, Mexico. 692 A.D : The original of this tablet is located at the Temple of the Sun, one of the three temples in Palenque known as the Group of the Cross, built by king Chan-Bahlum to commemorate and celebrate his accession rites to the throne after the death of his father, king Pacal. The tablet shows king Pacal on the left side, dressed in burial apparel and holding a full-bodied eccentric flint and a shield made of a flayed human face, a symbol of war. Pacal still holds the insignia of royal power; the passing of authority will occur at the end of ten days of accession rites. Chan-Bahlum is shown on the other side holding an offering manequin of maya god “K”. At the center of the tablet, we see a Sun Jaguar shield and crossed spears supported aloft by an underworld throne with bleeding jaguar heads emerging from one axis, and bleeding snakes from the other, representing decapitation sacrifice. The throne rests on the shoulders of god “L” and another aged god from the Underworld. Both are bent over like captives, in representation of the defeat of the Lords of Death at the beginning of time by the Hero Twins who became the source of life through magical rebirth after becoming captive sacrificial victims.

Olmec Colossal Head - La Venta, Mexico. 1000B.C. : Few of the world’s art treasures conceal more mysteries than the stone sculptures of the Olmecs, the Gulf Coast people who created Mesoamerica’s first civilization more than 3000 years ago. The objects range from exquisite miniatures fashioned from jade and serpentine to colossal stone heads. One feature that distinguishes them from the art of later peoples is their stark realism, many of the sculptures are fashioned in the round, portraying the human figure in squat but accurate detail. Almost two meters high and weighing over 15 tons, this monumental head is one of four found at La Venta, near the Gulf Coast. Scholars speculate that they may have portrayed rulers of the city. The Olmecs wrought these colossal heads from huge boulders of basalt from the Tuxtla mountains, 100 km away and they must have floated them on balsa rafts along the slow-moving rivers of the Gulf Coast. At La Venta, the four colossal heads were set as if to guard the ceremonial core of the site, three to the south and one to the north, all with their backs to the architecture

Maya Vision Serpent - Yaxchilan, Mexico. 755 A.D. : The maya vision serpent symbolizes the passage of ancestral spirits and the gods of Xibalba (the maya underworld) into our world. In states of ecstasy and usually following penis or tongue bloodletting, particularly as graphically depicted at Yaxchilan, maya mobility invoke the vision serpent. During special ceremonies, bloody papers were burnt in a sacred bowl and from it, this great undulating serpent rises and from its mouth emerges an ancestor or, occasionally, a deity. The serpent itself then, is probably what one sees in the clouds of smoke rising from the burning sacrifice, and cloud symbols may flank the vision serpent’s body. The vision serpent can be the vehicle by which ancestors or deities make themselves manifest to humanity. This sculpture depicts a version with a single head and personified blood scrolls attached to its tail.

Maya Calendar : The Maya Calendar depicted here was called “the Haab”, the Maya solar calendar of 365 days. It was divided into 18 months of 20 days each with a period of 5 days left over at the end of the year. This short 5 day month is called Uayeb, “the resting or sleep of the year”. The Maya also used another calendar of 260 days called the sacred round or Tzolkin composed of 13 months of 20 days. A cycle of 52 solar years, called the calendar round was also used. The calendar round of 52 years included both the Haab and Tzolkin calendars intermeshing with each other. Any specific day in the 260 day calendar had a unique corresponding position in the 360 day calendar but that corresponding position would not repeat itself again for 52 solar years. This calendar sculpture shows the Maya God of Time at the center, supporting the burden of time on his back. He is surrounded by the hieroglyphs of the 19 months.

Feathered Serpent Head of Quetzalcoaltl - Pyramid of Quetzalcoaltl, Teotihuacan, Mexico. 300 A.D. : One of the great Gods of Ancient Mesoamerica, Quetzalcoatl is a synthesis of serpent and bird. The name means “quetzal serpent”. The quetzal was a sacred bird of very beautiful feathers which were used in elite and ritual costumes. Quetzalcoatl, the patron of rulership, had several incarnations, the most important were as a creator god, as Ehecatl, the God of Wind; as the Morning Star; and asTopiltzin, a semi-human ruler, unique among the Gods. The priestly Quetzalcoatl was often contrasted to his dark shamanic brother Tezcatlipoca, the God of war, and their relation veer between enmity and alliance. According to Aztec and Maya creation accounts, after the great floods ended the era of the Fourth Sun, Quetzalcoatl and Tezcatlipoca raised the heavens and create the Earth. Since no people inhabitated the earth, Quetzalcoatl descended to the underworld to retrieve the remains of the people destroyed by the flood. Their bones were ground like corn into a fine meal and upon it the gods let their blood, thus creating the flesh of the present race and the era of the Fifth Sun.

Archangel Michael - New York Metropolitan Museum of Art 1475 A.D : His name means “Who is as God”. Michael ranks as the greatest of all angels whether in Jewish, Christian, or Islamic writings. He is Chief of the Order of Virtues, Chief of Archangels, Prince of the Presence, the Angel of Repentance, Righteousness, Mercy, and Sanctification: Also, Ruler of the 4th Heaven and Conqueror of Satan. It is Michael who will descend from heaven with “the Key to the Abyss and a great chain in his hand” to “bind the Satanic Dragon for 1000 years” (Revelation: 20:1). It is foretold in Daniel that when the world is once again in real trouble, Michael will reappear. Among the Dead Sea Scrolls there is one titled “The War of the Sons of Light against the Sons of Darkness”. Here, Michael is called the “Prince of Light”. Here, Michael, holding in his hand the Scales of Justice, is represented as the Angel of the Final Reckoning and the Weigher of Souls. The Museum original of this sculpture was carved by Andrea De La Robia in 1475 A.D.

Archangel Raphael - L.A. County Museum of Art, Los Angeles. 1600 A.D : Raphael means “God has Healed”. Raphael is above all the Angel of Healing as his name denotes, but also is the chief ruling Prince of the 2nd Heaven, Chief of the Order of Virtues, Guardian of the Tree of Life in Eden and by his own admission “One of the 7 Holy Angels” that attend the throne of God. This he reveals to Tobias in the Book of Tobit. He is declared to be “One of the Four Presences set over all the diseases and wounds of the children of men”(Enoch 1). and in the Zohar is “charged to heal the Earth”. Raphael is one of the six Angels of Repentance, Angel of Prayer, Love, Joy and Light. He is said to have the six wings of a Seraphin but at the same time belongs to the Cherubim, the Dominions and the Powers.

Archangel Gabriel - Ghent Cathedral, Belgium. 1432 A.D. : Gabriel means “God is my strength”. Gabriel is the Angel of annunciation, resurrection, mercy, vengeance, death and revelation. Gabriel is the ruler of heaven and ruler of the Cherubim. Gabriel is said to sit on the left hand side of God. Mohammed claimed it was Gabriel who dictated to him the Koran. In Jewish legend it was Gabriel who dealt death and destruction to Sodom and Gommorah. Gabriel appeared to Daniel to tell him of the coming of a Messiah: a message which later he repeats to Mary in the annunciation. Earlier he had announced to Zacharias the coming of John the Baptist.

Archangel Uriel : His name means “fire of God”. He presides over Tartarus or Hell. Being both a Seraphin and a Cherubim, he is identified as one of the Angels who helped bury Adam and Abel in Paradise: as the dark Angel who wrestled with Jacob at Peniel: as the destroyer of the Host of Sennacherib and as the messenger sent by God to warn Noah of the deluge. Often identified as the Cherub who stands at the gate of Eden with a fiery sword or as in Enoch I where he is the Angel who “watches over thunder and terror”. In the apocalypse, Uriel appears as the Angel of Repentance who is graphically depicted as being about as pitiless as any demon you would not want to meet in hell. Here he is shown holding his fiery sword of justice in one hand and the keys to the gates of Hades in the other hand.

Archangel Michael slaying the Devil - Church of Santa Maria Della Concezione, Rome. 1626 A.D : His name means “Who is as God”. Michael ranks as the greatest of all Angels whether in Jewish, Christian or Islamic writings. He is Chief of the Order of Virtues, Chief of Archangels, Prince of the Presence, Angel of Repentance, Righteousness, Mercy and Sanctification: also, Ruler of the 4th Heaven, and Conqueror of Satan. In Jewish lore, he is regarded as the forerunner of the Shekinah. It is foretold in Daniel that when the world is once again in real trouble, Michael will reappear. It is Michael who will descend from Heaven with “the Key to the Abyss and a great chain in his hand” and will bind the Satanic Dragon for 1000 years (Revelation: 20:1). “And there was war in heaven: Michael and his Angels fought against the dragon....and the great dragon was cast out.” (Revelation: 12:7-9).

Archangel Michael - British Museum, London. 1600 A.D. : His name means “Who is as God”. Michael ranks as the greatest of all angels whether in Jewish, Christian, or Islamic writings. He is Chief of the Order of Virtues, Chief of Archangels, Prince of the Presence, the Angel of Repentance, Righteousness, Mercy, and Sanctification: Also, Ruler of the 4th Heaven and Conqueror of Satan. It is Michael who will descend from heaven with “the Key to the Abyss and a great chain in his hand” to “bind the Satanic Dragon for 1000 years” (Revelation: 20:1). It is foretold in Daniel that when the world is once again in real trouble, Michael will reappear. Among the Dead Sea Scrolls there is one titled “The War of the Sons of Light against the Sons of Darkness”. Here, Michael is called the “Prince of Light”.

The Tree of Life, Icon : This Bizantine Icon shows the Tree of Life with Christ in the center of the tree and the twelve apostols emerging from the branches of the tree. The Tree of Life also shows the hierarchy of the church, with Christ as the head of the church followed by the apostols.

Alabaster Chest : The original chest found beneath the bed in King Tutankhamun's tomb contained an ivory pomegranate. Cartouches of the King and Queen are inscribed on the front. The Knobs were used to secure the box by means of a cord wrapping.

Thoth : God of the moon and inventor of speech, Thoth was credited with considerable magic powers. The divine scribe, he was present at all funeral rites, where his function was to record the deeds of the deceased before they were placed on the scales with the feather of truth.

Ra Harakhte : The sun god of Heliopolis. Called father < gods, Ra once ruled on earth during a gc age when men and gods could live togd happily. Each morning Ra, as the sun. ro the east and set off across the world to in the west, eventually entering the real night and meeting the powers of dark™ A nightly struggle ensued and when the reappeared on the horizon, prayers of d fulness were offered to the triumphant

Anubis : God of the dead, Anubis opened the roads to the other world and presided over embalmments. After the funeral, Anubis would take the dead by the hand and introduce him into the presence of the sovereign judges where the soul of the deceased would be weighed. Anubis was the guardian of offerings brought to the ceremony by heirs of the deceased.

Horus : Horus. represented by the falcon, was considered the preeminent divine being. The hieroglyph which represented the idea of God was a falcon on its perch. Throughout ancient Egyptian history, this god was personally identified with the king, as each succeeding pharaoh used the name of Horus as the first of his titles.

Selket, Goddess of Magic : Selket's divine role was not limited to funerary duties; like her three companion goddesses she acquired those functions in virtue of her long-established reputation in a wider field of protection. She was chiefly noted for her control of magic and, in particular, for treating scorpion stings by means of magic.

Amun-Ra - Great God of Power and Wealth : Amun-Ra. god of kings and king of gods, the oldest and longest venerated rulers of ancient Egypt. Amun, meaning "hidden" and Ra meaning "light" translates to "The Hidden Light The plumes on his head represent the air, which like him. \s felt but not seen. As one of the primordial gods of creation, his name is found in the pyramid texts as far back as the 5th Dynasty (2494-2345 B.C.).

Queen Ankhnes-Mery-ra and her Son Pepy II : This piece is ranked among the masterpieces from the Old Kingdom. The Egyptian craftsmen of Dynasty VI (approx. 2345-2181 B.C.) achieved remarkable delicacy of composition. In addition, they attained luminosity with translucent alabaster. Pepy II reigned for almost one hundred years.

Ptah, God of Memphis : Ptah was God of Memphis, capital of Egypt in the Old Kingdom (approx. 2600 B.C.). He was also the patron deity of artists and craftsmen. His scepter has symbols of life and stability!

Throne Chair Box : The original golden throne chair was used for the most formal state occasions. Its principal decoration is of the Queen ministering to the King-certainly an intimate episode. At the front of the seat are two lions heads symbolizing the eastern and western horizons, over which each lion was believed to have stood guard.

King Tut on Funerary Bed : This box. showing the king in repose, was a gift from Maya, one of the funerary officials. The human headed bird and a falcon, each with a wing protectively extended over the king's abdomen represent two forms in which he might return after death. Of cultured marble with wood grain detailed finish, length 16", width 5"

Isis and Nephthys Panel : The sarcophagus of King Tutankhamun was found enclosed in four shrines, one inside the other. King Tuts second shrine displayed this beautiful panel of gold on it's rear exterior. It depicts the goddesses Isis and Nephthys, sisters of Osiris, standing on the signs of gold with their outspread wings in protective gesture creating air for the departed soul to breathe. Inscription of words spoken by Isis: "I have come to be thy protection, thou art my son, my beloved Horus, I have taken away the veil above thee, from him who acted against thee". Words spoken by Nephthys: "I have come to protect thee from behind, my brother Osiris, King, Lord of the Two Lands Neb-Kheperu-Re. I have established thy head on thy neck, Anubis has gathered for thee thy bones, he has restored thy limbs to health, he has removed all evil, he has caused all sorrow to depart. Thou shalt not decay!" The Original shrine was made of wood covered with thin layers of gold foil embossed with representations and inscriptions.

Royal Scepter of Tutankhamun : Unlike other precious insignia of this type discovered in King Tut's innermost Treasury room, this scepter lay in the Annex at the time archaeologist Howard Carter entered the tomb. It was hypothesized that this scepter was part of a complete set of ritual regalia stored in one of the ornate chests deposited in the Annex. Scepters of this shape were used by both kings and members of the nobility as insignia of power. Only a pharaoh, however, would be likely to possess such a richly decorated example.

Maat - Goddess of Truth : Maat, the goddess of truth was identified with the symbol of truth, the ostrich feather. This feather was also the hieroglyph of her name. Maat played an important role in the ceremony called the "Weighing of the Heart". Here the heart of a deceased was weighed in the scale of justice, against the feather of Maat, as a test of truth in determining worthiness for passage into the blessed afterlife of eternity.

Seth - God of Evil, Darkness and Chaotic Forces : Seth was considered the god of evil, darkness, and chaotic forces. He was the wicked brother of Osiris and became the incarnation of the spirit of evil, in eternal opposition to the spirit of good. Depicted with the body of a man and the head of a strange unidentified animal, Seth was surprisingly venerated as well as disdained throughout ancient Egyptian history.

Ramses III : Ramses III was the last of the great pharoahs to rule Egypt. He made important donations to temples and institutions of the country. This royal statue of Ramses III bearing the standard of Amun topped with a ram's head was dedicated by the King to the temple of Amun-Ra at Karnak and placed at its entrance.

Akhenathen : At the end of 18th Dynasty Egypt many radical changes took place when Pharaoh Akhenaten came to power: He established the worship of one god, Aten the Sun Disk, when previously there were many; a new capital was founded at el-Amarna; new artistic directions were developed which contrasted sharply with previous convention. This new art resulted in what became the 'Amarna art' which depicted features of the pharaoh's face and body as intentionally elongated and deformed. Akhenaten's chief wife was the beautiful Queen Mefertiti.

Taueret - Hippopotamus Goddess : Taueret was a mother goddess revered as the protective deity of fertility, expectant mothers and of women in childbirth. This astonishing statuette depicts "the Great one" represented in the form of a female hippopotamus with human arms, standing on lion's legs and leaning on the magic knot symbolizing protection. Amulets of Taueret were placed in tombs to invoke her protection when the deceased was reborn in the kingdom of the dead.

Hatshepsut Sphinx : Hatshepsut was a strong-willed woman who would not let anyone or anything stand in her way. In the second year of her co-regency with the child king Tuthmosis III she subverted his position and proclaimed herself pharaoh and King of Upper and Lower Egypt and ruled for about 20 years from about 1479 to 1457 BC. Hatshepsut was protrayed, as in this sphinx, with all the regalia of kingship, even down to the offical royal false beard.

Protective Spirit - Palace of Assurnasirpal II Nimrud, Assyria ca 875-860 B.C. : A protective spirit guarded one entrance of the King's quarters. This spirit is depicted as man with wings like an angel carrying a goat and an ear of corn believed to symbolize fertility. The so-called Standard Inscription is carved across the surface of the relief.

Eagle Spirit - Palace of Assurnasirpal II Nimrud, Assyria ca 875-860 B.C. : The palace at Nimrud was decorated with many protective spirits. One figure is depicted as an image in the form of an eagle-headed man. This spirit is shown protecting the palace from evil spirits with a cone described as a purifier, along with a ritual cup.

Palace Stairway (3 piece set) - Palace of Darius the Great Persepolis, Assyria ca 548-486 B.C. : This is a portion of the carved stone walls of the palace staircase leading to the Audience Hall depicting a procession of officials and royal subjects bearing tribute for the King

Royal Lion Hunt - Palace of Assurnasirpal II Nimrud, Assyria ca 875-860 B.C. : The theme of the lion hunt carried special significance in ancient Assyria. The lion represented the wild forces of nature which was the duty of the King to control. Depictions of royal figures engaged in the lion hunt indicated that this activity was reserved for royalty.

Guardian - Palace of Assurnasirpal II Nimrud, Assyria, ca 883-859 B.C. : King Assurnasirpal II built a new capital at Nimrud. This palace was decorated with large sculptural figures in the form of a human-headed winged lion guarding the doorways. Its horned cap affirms its divinity while its belt is indicative of its power.

Storyteller - Eastern Han Dynasty (AD 25-220) Unearthed in 1982, Xindu County, Sichuan Province, Southwest China : The Storyteller wears a scarf, a string of jewelry on his left arm and a pair of long trousers. He has a floral pattern on his forehead: his upper torso is naked. In his left hand he holds a drum, and with his right hand he raises a drum stick as if about to strike. With his left leg bent in a squatting position and his right leg kicking forward. His raised eyebrows, open mouth and humorous expression, he seems to be telling the audience a funny and entertaining story

Kneeling Archer - Qin Emperor's Terrocatta Soldiers - Qing Dynasty (221-206 B.C.) Unearthed in 1977. : The Kneeling Archer is wearing a gown covered by a suit of armor, square-tipped shoes on his feet and a ribbon tieing his hair up. Keeling on the ground he is about to pull back the bowstring with his two hands. Found beside him. indicating that he was an archer with a sword, were bronze arrow-heads, a bronze sword and the rotted remains of a wooden bow. the garments, armor, posture and expression all show fine craftsmanship in ancient China.

Groom - Qing Dynasty (221-206 B.C.) Unearthed in 1964 in the Vicinity of Qinshihuang's Mausoleum, Shaanxi province : Judging from the inscriptions on pottery pieces found in the same place, the pit where this figure was unearthed probably represented the horse stable of the emperor's palace. The groom originally had bright colors. He is wearing a long gown. His two hands are loose, fists placed on his knees. He is kneeling & sitting on his two feet. The facial features are modeled in detail. He looks slightly downwards. His posture and expression display the obedience and humble attitude of a royal servant.

Horse - Qing Dynasty (221-206 B.C.) - Unearthed in 1977. : This Horse created 22 centuries ago still maintains its magnificent look. Its tail are knotted half of the length. The mane is short and stands straight at the crest of the neck. The ears are set forward and appear tense, indicating alertness

Officer - Qin Emperor's Terrocatta Soldiers - Qing Dynasty (221-206 B.C.) Unearthed in 1977. : The first emperor of China-Qinshihuang (259-210 BC) was the creator of the first unified, centralized feudal state in Chinese history. He spent thirty-six years constructing his mausoleums, which is surrounded by more than eight thousand life-sized terra-cotta warriors and horses. To date, four huge pits have been discovered. Among these warriors, some were perched upon horse-drawn chariots, while others, arranged in infantry groups, held spears, swords and crossbows. Each warrior is unique, being modeled after an actual horseman, soldier or servant in the emperors guard-of-honor

Scout - Qin Emperor's Terrocatta Soldiers - Qing Dynasty (221-206 B.C.) Unearthed in 1977. : The first emperor of China-Qinshihuang (259-210 BC) was the creator of the first unified, centralized feudal state in Chinese history. He spent thirty-six years constructing his mausoleums, which is surrounded by more than eight thousand life-sized terra-cotta warriors and horses. To date, four huge pits have been discovered. Among these warriors, some were perched upon horse-drawn chariots, while others, arranged in infantry groups, held spears, swords and crossbows. Each warrior is unique, being modeled after an actual horseman, soldier or servant in the emperors guard-of-honor

Charger of Emperor Taizong of Tang - Tang Dynasty (AD.618-907) : The plaques present images of the horses Emperor Taizong of Tang rode in battles. The actual horses carvings are located in front of the tomb of Emperor giving memory of his six chargers.

Tibet Buddha Plaque Tibet. 7th Century AD- present day. : The buddha is in the appropriate earth-touching gesture. It represents the Eastern Indian tradition, which goes far back to the 7th Century A D when Buddhism was introduced into Tibet.

Warriors of Mara Burma. 15th Century or later Glazed pottery tile. : This tile, with its ass-headed figures, shows warriors of Mara and is in the style of those placed in niches of buildings commemorating the 7weeks of the Buddha's Enlightenment near the Shwegugyl Pagoda, constructed near Pegu by King Dhammaceti (1472-1492).

General - Qin Emperor's Terrocatta Soldiers - Qing Dynasty (221-206 B.C.) Unearthed in 1977. : The first emperor of China-Qinshihuang (259-210 BC) was the creator of the first unified, centralized feudal state in Chinese history. He spent thirty-six years constructing his mausoleums, which is surrounded by more than eight thousand life-sized terra-cotta warriors and horses. Only a few Generals have been found among the more than eight thousand soldier figurines: He is wearing a hat and a warrior's gown covered by a finely knit suit of armor. On his feet are square-tipped shoes. His face is realistically depicted with a thick beard and mustache, the broad forehead and sharp eyes. He looks mature and reserved, calm and resolute The nameless craftsman not only created a perfect image of a commander, but also has given him a spirit and a mind worth pondering.

Reclining Anubis : Anubis, God of the Dead, represented with a head of a jackal or simply as a jackal opened the road to the other world and presided over embalmments. After a funeral, Anubis would take the deceased by the hand and introduce him into the presence of the sov

Anubis Mummy : Anubis, God of the Dead, represented with a head of a jackal or simply as a jackal opened the road to the other world and presided over embalmments. After a funeral, Anubis would take the deceased by the hand and introduce him into the presence of the sov

Horus Mummy - God of the Royal Throne : Horus. represented by the falcon, was considered the preeminent divine being. The hieroglyph which represented the idea of God was a falcon on its perch. Throughout ancient Egyptian history, this god was personally identified with the king, as each succee

Gold Leaf Winged Isis : Isis was the most famous goddess of ancient Egypt. She was the wife of Osiris and the mother of Horus. Isis was revered as the 'Great Enchantress' and protected Osiris after death. She used her wings in an attempt to transmit the breath of life to him. Worshiped as the "great of magic", Isis had unsurpassable powers of healing and protection. She was believed to watch over children and her image emulated the role of the perfect Egyptian wife and mother. Her image endured even beyond Egypt the Greeks and Romans integrated her into their own religions.

Ushabti with Gold (White) Crown : The gold (white) crown symbolized the region of Upper Egypt and was worn by the ruling Pharaoh. After the two kingdoms of Egypt were united, the gold crown and blue crown; symbolic of Lower Egypt were combined into one crown.

Ushabti with Wig : Hair was of great importance to the Egyptians, it reflected one's social stature. Hair was washed and scented on a regular basis and the wealthy even employed hairdressers. Wigs were extremely popular, men wearing short styles and women wearing longer plaits.

Horus Ushabti : The Ushabti is a figurine, usually mummiform, which was placed in the tomb to carry out the necessary work in the next world which the deceased might be called upon to do. Ushabtis were also used to answer in the name of the deceased for the possible actions that they had done while alive – thus the origin of the name, Ushabti, “the one that answers”. Whenever the deceased was called in the next world to sow the fields, carry sand, etc., the Ushabti was supposed to reply, “Here am I”. The best examples like the one represented here were inscribed with a version of the sixth chapter of the Book of the Dead. It was believed that the recitation of the text could make the figure come alive to carry out the obligations asked for in the other world to the deceased.

Pharonic Bust on Base : The Egyptians regarded their Pharaoh as a mortal manifestation of the Horus. Every king was considered the son of Isis and is often depicted on the throne with the goddess standing behind him. The royal lineage was usually handed down from father to son, but in the case when no heir had been produced, the Pharaoh would choose another member of his family. Massive temples were erected by the Pharaohs as a salute to the gods as well as to their own accomplishments and glory. When one Pharaoh would die, it was common practice for the new king to tear down or build on top of the late ruler's temple. Legend tells it that Queen Nefertiti was the most beautiful woman on earth, and her name meant "the beautiful one has come". The Pharaohs ruled until 30 B.C. when Rome took control of Egypt after the deaths of Cleopatra and Marc Antony.

Nile Fish : The ancient Nile river was home to many creatures, and life flourished in its waters and along the fertile banks. Egypt was alive with hippopotami, ibis, crocodiles, turtles, fish and other aquatic life forms. The ever observant Egyptians associated the behavior and instincts of these animals with the story lines of their religion and adapted them into these tales.

Patina Bastet Bust : The cat enjoyed a special status in Egypt The feline Bastet was the goddess of joy and music and an elaborate festival was held in her honor every year. With this association, the common cats of Egypt were highly prized, kept as pets, and were considered a part of the family. Often when the family pet died, funerals were held and the animal was mummified to preserve its' body for the netherworld.

Silver Bedouin Pendant on Silver Collar : The beautiful Sinai peninsula has long been a favorite resting spot of Discoveries while on business in Egypt. The blue waters of the Red Sea clear away the heat and chaos of Cairo and brings restful peace. The Sinai is home to the Bedouin tribes of Egypt. The Bedouin have been in Egypt for thousands of years. During the reign of the Pharaohs they were known as "heryw-sh" (sand-dwellers). Many battles were waged between these nomadic people and the Pharaonic armies. Their wandering ways made it very difficult for the Pharaoh to eradicate them from the land.

St. George's Gargoyle - 14th Century : The term gargoyle, which derives from the Old French word for windpipe, refers to a grotesquely carved roof gutter water spout used in Gothic architecture. This gargoyle is a copy of one on the exterior of St. George's Chapel in Windsor Castle.

Dragon - 19th Century : This elaborately carved dragon can be found in the library of Chateau Sur Mer, the first of the great villas on Bellevue Avenue, Newport, Rhode Island Initial construction of this home was completed in 1852.

Miserigeorge - 14th Century : Aptly named, this fanciful design is based on the sculpted undersides of early choir stalls known as misericords, from the Latin word miserere or pity. These hinged seats provided momentary comfort for aging monks during long services

Time Flies - 18th Century : The winged hourglass, a decorative motif common on New Eng land gravestones of the vth and i8th centuries, was frequently accompanied by the phrases FugitHora (Time, literally, the hour, Flies) and Memento Mori (Remember Death).

Cathedral Cat - 12th Century : Repeated along a cornice in the Church of Vouvant, France, this fanciful cat grins with the dynamic quality of a contemporary cartoon character. The head is an amusing example of Roman esque sculpture, noted for freedom of imagination.

Sleeping Monk - 12th Century : Based on an original sculpture from a medieval church, this monk's pages read Vis a tergo, Latin for "a force from behind." Does this slumbering monk need a swift kick to awaken him to the social problems he escapes?

Magdalen College Gargoyle - 15th Century : Whether screaming, yawning, or even singing, this gargoyle is a delight and comes from the Magdalen College Chapel, Oxford University. The chapel dates from the founding of the College in 1458

King David - 12th Century : The column figures from the Royal Portal of the west front of Notre Dame de Charles represent kings, queens, and patriarchs and are surmounted by histonated capitals forming a cycle devoted to the childhood and life of Christ.

Poitiers Cat - 12th Century : "Parables in stone" were often used in medieval churches to pro vide moral guidance to illiterate parishoners This comical, greedy cat, found in the Church of Notre-Dame-la-Grande in Poitiers, has literally bitten off more than he can chew!

Glorious Virgin Mary - 14th Century : Rich iconography relating to the Virgin grew over the centuries from a need of the church for a loving mother figure who offers comfort to all mankind The exquisite original ivory was used as an aid in private devotion,

Apostles - 13th Century : Representing the human response to the divine, the twelve apostles of Christ have been the subject of countless works of art The original ivory from which this piece is reproduced is believed to be of French origin.

Angel From the Annunciation - 15th Century : Here the Archangel Gabriel carries the lily, emblem of the Virgin Mary and symbolic of the Annunciation, itself. Gabriel is adapted from da Vinci's The Annunciation, painted for the church of the monastery of San Bartolomeo di Monte Oliveto, isth century

Mexican Cross - 17th Century : Reproduced from a vth century crucifix from Mexico, this cross includes the conventional symbols of the Passion-nails, crown of thorns, pillar and scourge, ladder and lance, the cockerel that crowed three times.

Irish Cross - 8th Century : During the 8th century, most of the large Irish monasteries began decorating their courtyards with enormous stone crosses carved on four sides and densely laden with Biblical scenes. Thirty or more of these crosses survive.

Pictish Cross - 8th Century : The Picts were converted to Christianity by the followers of St. Columba in the 6th century They combined their indigenous animal imagery with the traditional Christian symbolism in remarkable cross slabs

Aberlemno Wall Cross - 8th Century : The conversion of the Picts to Christianity by the Celtic and Northumbrian churches is documented by stone slabs such as this one which unites Christian symbols with depiction of Pictish royal history.

Temperantia - 19th Century : Based on a watercolor by Pre Raphaelite artist Sir Edward Burne Jones, a stately woman pours water on the flames of excess This is significantly one of the artist's last images of his model and mistress, Maria Zambaco,

Woodpecker Tapestry - William Morris - 19th Century : This carving has been adapted from a design by William Morris for the Woodpecker Tapestry, one of only three tapestries per sonally designed by Morris

Gryphon - 3rd Century : This Gryphon, or Griffin, is taken from a Roman temple relief design The Gryphon is the mythological guardian of the gold and a symbol of good luck in matters of fortune and wealth

da Vinci Proportions of the Human Figure - 16th Century : An etching of the widely reproduced drawing by da Vinci indi iduahzes this item. The da Vinci drawing, in turn, was based on the work of Vitruvius, a Roman architect, engineer, and author, who lived during the first century BC

Box with da Vinci Cats - 15th Century : A parchment of cat studies in pen. ink and wash by Leonardo da Vinci inspired this box. Leonardo was well known among his contemporaries for his love of animals His minutely observed studies of cats are notable for their vigor and charm.

Angel with Cross Shield -20th Century : Found in the Credence Niche in the Chapel of Saint James, this angel is located in the Cathedral Church of Saint John the Divine The letters IHC are the first three letters of Jesus in Greek The Chapel was designed by architect Henry Vaughn.

Madonna and Child - Antonio Rossellino - 15th Century : During the Renaissance in Italy, devotional figures of the Madonna and Child were common subjects for sculpture Faith fully reproducing the graceful shape and patina of centuries, this sculpture is based on Antonio Rossellino's terra cotta.

Baby Imp - 19th Century : From a relief located at 81 Irving Place in New York City, this sculpture combines the physical characteristics of both humans and animals-a trait common in gargoyles and grotesgues.

Cat in a Robe - Japanese Netsuke : This whimsical netsuke is a graceful cat disguised as a woman. In some Japanese legends, long-tailed or two-tailed cats can be bewitch human beings. Please see our jewelry collection for a gold broach of this figure.

Couple Having Tea - Japanese Netsuke with Woman in Kimono and Man in Foreign Attire. : Representing a scene and activity of everyday life, a Japanese woman dressed in an elaborate kimono pours teas for a gentleman in foreign attire.

Hotei with Baby (God of Good Fortune) - Japanese Netsuke : Hotei is the most popular of the Seven Gods of Good Fortune. He can be recognized by his jolly expression, huge belly, and sack of Precious Things.

Kirin - Japanese Netsuke - Kirin the Kind Gentle Vegetarian : The emblem of kindness and virtue, the Kirin is a vegetarian and a creature so gentle that it will not even walk on grass lest it crush any living being.

Otakufu (Goddess of Mirth) - Japanese Netsuke : To prepare for the New Year, Otafuku, the goddess of mirths, pours tea and has tossed beans to keep the demons away. Piece is highly detailed on the bottom as well.

Benten - Patron or the Geishas (God of Good Fortune) - Japanese Netsuke : Benten is the only female deity among the Seven Gods of Good Fortune. She is the goddess of learning, music, and love - the patron of the geishas.

Venus of Willendorf, Museum of Natural History, Vienna, 30,000BC : The Venus of Willendorf was found by the researcher Szombathy on the 7th of August, 1908. It is made out of limestone and still has some signs of red pigmentation; it fits in the palm of a hand. It is one of the most obese representations of the Paleolithic statuary. She represents the Earth and its fertility and continuation of life, the Mother Goddess, the universal female principle even if it is in its most primitive conception. Women were recognized as the life-givers and sustainers. They were revered as priestesses. Upper Paleolithic female figures, such as this one are found from the Pyrenees mountains to Siberia, indicating that East and West were once united in honoring the Goddess. The vast majority (over 90%) of human images from 30,000 to 5,000 B.C. are female.

Nile River Goddess - Brooklyn Museum or Art, New York , 4,000BC : The image of the bird Goddess appeared in Egypt in early pre-dynastic times (4000B.C.) as funerary figures with strongly beaked faces and winglike arms and hands. These painted terracotta figures, less than a foot high and much alike, were found in graves in Mohamerian, near Edfu. They serve as a superb blend of bird, woman, and deity. Their greatly enlarged posteriors are a representation of the cosmic or primal egg. In Egyptian myth, the generation of the primal egg takes place in what is know as the time of non-being where the sublime goose appears among the imperishable stars. While the world is still flooded by silence, the voice of the great cackler breaks the stillness, and she lays the egg containing the germ of life. From her egg bursts forth a bird of celestial light. The cosmic matter from which the universe is formed comes from the primal egg.

Ishtar - Louvre Museum, Paris, 2,000BC : So common in the Mesopotamian area were the clay figurines of Ishtar/Inanna/Ashtart in her characteristic breast-offering pose, that this has come to be known among archaeologists as “The Ishtar Pose”. She was addressed as “Mother of the Fruitful Breast”, Queen of Heaven, Light of the World, Creator of People, Mother of Deities, River of Life, Etc. The breast-offering pose suggested her function as the Goddess of all nourishment and fertility. Ishtar, also know as Inanna in Sumeria is, above all, a lunar Goddess who gives life as the waxing moon and then withdraws it as the waning moon. The light and dark dimensions to her power, her dying and resurrected son-lover Tammaz, who annually descends to the underworld and rises again from it all suggests a lunar mythology which revolves around the connection made between the light and dark lunar phases and rhythmic alteration of the Earth’s fertility.

Venus of Lespugue - L'Home Museum, Paris, 25,000BC : The Venus of Lespugue was found in 1922 by Saint Perrier in the cave of Les Rideaux. The sculpture is made out of mammoth ivory and measures 5.75” high. The breasts are deteriorated but they have been restored in this reproduction so that we can appreciate the original look of the statue. She represents the Earth and it’s fertility and the continuation of life, The Mother Goddess, the universal female principle even if it is in its most primitive conception. Upper Paleolithic female figures such as this one are found from the Pyrenees mountains to Siberia, indicating that East and West were once united in honoring the Goddess. The vast majority (over 90%) of human images from 30,000 to 5,000B.C. are female. Women were recognized as the life-givers and sustainers and they were revered as priestesses.

Venus of Laussel - Dordogne, France, 22,000BC : The original is 17 inches tall and was found in the entrance to a cave that was both a dwelling place and a ceremonial site. She was painted red, the color of life, blood, and rebirth. Paleolithic sculptors chiseled her out of limestone with tools of flint, and gave her to hold in her right had a bison’s horn, crescent-shaped like the moon, which is notched with thirteen marks representing the thirteen days of the waxing moon and the thirteen months of the lunar year. With her left hand she points to her swelling womb. Her head is tilted towards the crescent moon, drawing a curve of relationship from her fingers on the womb up through the incline of her head to the crescent horn in her hand, so creating a connection between the waxing phase of the moon and the fecundity of the human womb.

Dreamer or Malta - National Archeological Museum, Valetta, Malta, 3,000BC : The most spectacular monument in Malta is in the enormous, labyrinthine underground sanctuary known as the Hypogeum which may have been the ceremonial center of the island encompassing more than 6,000 square meters in three levels. This catacomb-like structure seems to have been at once temple, tomb and healing center. The main hall leads into the oracle room where two identical small sculptures of a woman were found lying on the floor where they were probably left when the shrine was abandoned. The dreamer is lying on her side on a low couch, one enormous right forearm underneath her head, the other draped across her heavy breast. She is ample-hipped and topless. Dressed in a full length, bell-shaped skirt she clearly appears to be asleep, almost visibly dreaming. The figures were probably part of a ceremony of dream incubation.

The Weighting of the Heart - British Museum, London, 1500BC : This relief represents the ceremony of the weighing of the heart in the hall of judgement after death. The deceased is introduced into the hall of judgement by the jackal-headed God Anubis. His or her heart is placed in one of the pans of a scale to be weighed against the feather of truth of the Goddess Maat. Anubis then adjusts the plummet while Thot, generally shown as Ibis-headed, writes down the verdict. Nearby a demon, the “Eater of Hearts”, a composite of crocodile, lion, and hippopotamus waits for a verdict against the deceased, when the heart will then be thrown to it. Upon a satisfactory verdict the deceased is then led by Horus before Osiris. The deceased is presented as on “true of voice, justified” and a suitable candidate to be admitted into the joys of the netherworld.

The Rosetta Stone - British Museum, London, 203BC : When the last temple was closed in the 6th century A.D., the skill of reading hieroglyphs was lost until the discovery of this slab of basalt stone found at Rosetta in the western delta in 1779. On the stone are three scripts. The bottom section is in Greek, the center in demonic (popular script originated in the XXVI dynasty, 700-600BC and widely used for the next thousand years), and the top in hieroglyphs. The stone was first set up in a temple. It was an elaborate “thank you” to the Greek ruler of Egypt, Ptolemy V, who reigned in the 2nd century B.C., for favors that he had given to the priests. The three scripts contained the same text, allowing the hieroglyphs to be translated. French archaeologist, Jean-Francois Champollion spent many years deciphering the symbols of the Rosetta stone. Champollion’s work in the Rosetta stone was an important breakthrough in the translation of Egyptian hieroglyphs.

The Sacred Triad Osiris, Isis and Horus - Louvre Museum, Paris 1450BC : This sculpture was dedicated to the great triad of Horus, Osiris and Isis, who appear in the upper panel, with Titiaa, high priest of Amum, and his wife Aoui kneeling below to offer gifts of fruits and flowers. Osiris wears the Atef crown and carries the royal crook and flail, while his son Horus is represented as a falcon-headed man, Isis has the cow’s horns and the sun disk that she adopted from Hathor in the New Kingdom. Osiris was the God of the underworld and resuscitation while his sister and wife Isis was considered the symbolical mother of the Pharaoh and was worshipped as the “Great of Magic” and regarded as the “Eye of Ra”. Their son Horus is traditionally considered the first Pharaoh of Egypt and at latter times ,the spiritual king where the Pharaoh is only his representative on Earth.

Ptolemaic Relief - British Museum, London. 200 B.C. : This relief shows a scene of an offering where the Pharaoh Ptolemy V offers the spiritual inner eyes of Horus, to Horus, seated on the throne. Horus was the son of Isis and Osiris. They formed the fundamental triad of the Egyptian religion. Traditionally, Horus is considered the first Pharaoh of Egypt and at latter times, the spiritual King where the Pharaoh is only his representative. This sculpture originates from the Ptolemaic period which began when Alexander the Great conquered Egypt from the Persians in 332 B.C. The Pharaohs of this period were Greek but even so they not only respected the Egyptian traditions but also dedicated large funds for the reconstruction of many temples especially in Upper Egypt like the temple of Hathor at Dendera, the temple of Horus at Edfu and the temple of Khnum at Esna.

Bust of Queen Nefertiti - Dahlem Museum, Berlin 1365BC : Nefertiti means “the Beautiful one is Come”. The bust of painted limestone was found by the German professor Borchardtt in 1912 at Tel-El-Amarna, ancient Akhetaton, which was the King’s new capital in Middle Egypt in what used to be the workshop of the sculptor, Thuunes. Nefertiti was the daughter of a high dignitary of the Pharaoh’s court. She was the wife of King Akhenaton who ruled from 1379 of 1362BC. She was an influential Queen but she is principally remembered for her personal beauty and the lovely statue that was carved centuries ago. Details of the life of the beauteous Queen are veiled by the mist of time. One of her six daughters was Ankhesenamun, Tutankhamun’s wife. Her tomb has never been discovered. Nefertiti’s bust was taken out of Egypt to Berlin under unclear circumstances.

Egyptian Cat Bastet - British Museum, London, 1200BC : The first reference to the domestic cat appears in the eleventh dynasty. Because it was hostile to snakes, it became a sacred animal of the Sun God. In the New Kingdom, the male cat was regarded as an incarnation of the Sun God and the female cat was equated with the solar eye. Feline figures may display a scarab, the symbol of the rising sun, engraved on the head or breast thus showing their solar significance. The domestic cat attained special significance as the sacred animal of the Goddess Bastet. Hundreds of figures were set up as votive offerings in the temple at Bubastis in order that the donor might share in the Goddess’s grace. Actual mummies of cats were buried by the thousands in special cemeteries in the area.

The Great Sphinx of Giza - Giza Plateau, Cairo, 2550BC : In ancient Egypt, sphinxes were statues representing deities, with the body of a lion and the head of some other animal or of man, frequently a likeness of the king. The most famous of all Egyptian sphinxes is the Great Sphinx of Giza, near the pyramids, which dated around 2500 BC.

Ushabti - British Museum, 600BC : The Ushabti is a figurine, usually mummiform, which was placed in the tomb to carry out the necessary work in the next world which the deceased might be called upon to do. Ushabtis were also used to answer in the name of the deceased for the possible actions that they had done while alive – thus the origin of the name, Ushabti, “the one that answers”. Whenever the deceased was called in the next world to sow the fields, carry sand, etc., the Ushabti was supposed to reply, “Here am I”. The best examples like the one represented here were inscribed with a version of the sixth chapter of the Book of the Dead. It was believed that the recitation of the text could make the figure come alive to carry out the obligations asked for in the other world to the deceased. Here the Ushabti holds a pickaxe and an adze.

Isis Protecting Osiris - British Museum, London, 530BC : This sculpture shows Isis protecting her husband Osiris with her wings. The statue was originally found at the Temple of Karnak in Thebes. The statue was dedicated by Sheshonq, Steward of the God’s adorer Ankhhnesneferibre. The name Isis means “Seat” or “Throne”. She was regarded as the symbolical mother of the King. In myth she sought her dead husband and brother, Osiris, conceived her son Horus by him, buried and mourned him together with her sister Nephtys. Isis was regarded as the “Eye of Ra” and was worshipped as the “Great of Magic” who had protected her son Horus from snakes, predators, and other dangers thus she would protect mortal children also. In the New Kingdom Isis was closely connected with Hathor whose physical attributes, the cow’s horns and sun-disk she adopted. The Ancient Egyptians regarded the Goddess as the “Eye or Ra”.

Amun-Ra - Egyptian Museum, Berlin, 1500BC : Amun-Ra, God of Kings and King of Gods. The oldest and longest venerated ruler of ancient Egypt, Amun, meaning “hidden” and Ra meaning “light” translates to “hidden light”. The sacred creature of Amun is the ram with curved horns. This image was probably suggested by the ram’s procreative energy, a symbol to his aspects as a God of fertility. “Woserhat”, the gilded festival boat of Amun had a ram’s head at its bow and stern, and the processional roads to his temple were flanked with ram-headed lions. Pharaohs repeatedly called themselves “Merry-Amun” or Beloved of Amun. Also, since the ruler was “Son of Ra” it followed that Amun was father of the Monarch. As God of the Theban capital, Amun attained the position of supreme state God in the new kingdom, and as Amun-Ra was identified with the Sun-God. Lastly, the God “He who abides in all things”, was imagined as the soul (Ba) of all phenomena.

Horus Falcon - Historical Artistic Museum, Vienna, 1400BC : In Egyptian mythology, Horus was the Divine Child of Osiris and Isis. As the Incarnate God, his roles were numerous. He united the cosmic principles of male and female. He acted as the uniting force between Upper and Lower Egypt. He interceded on behalf of the King to the Gods and as a living God, it is Horus who bestowed supreme power and divine kingship to a Pharaoh. From his union with Isis he has four sons, guardians of the four Canopic Jars that contain the viscera of the embalmed deceased. Horus’s most important cult centers were at Edfu, where the God was venerated in the image of the winged disk, at Kom Ombo, where as Son of Ra he bore the name Haroeris, and at Heliopolis where he was regarded as the God of the Morning Sun under the name of Ra-Harakhty.

Eye or Horus - Louvre Museum, Paris, 1085BC : The eye of Horus also called Oudjat or Wedjat, is the left lunar eye which originates from the struggle between Horus and Seth. In this fight, Horus loses his left eye which is taken by Seth, but then Horus acquires spiritual sight, the eye of light. The eye was later healed by Thot and returned to Horus and then called the “Oudjat” (“the Whole One”). It was a symbol of the power of the God of light, and therefore a popular amulet for protection and good luck. Some oudjat eyes had an arm carrying the Ankh or the papyrus staff, symbol for “to flourish”. The eye of Horus was also used as a protection against the evil eye. From the late old kingdom, two oudjat eyes were placed on the door recesses of tombs.

Buddha : Gautama Buddha was born in 563BC in northeast India. The Buddha was the son of the King of the Sakyas, Suddhodana, who ruled at Kapilavastu, on the border of Nepal. His mother was Queen Maya. He was named Siddhartha. He lived amidst the pleasures of palace life and at age 16 was married to Princess Yasodhara. They had a son named Rabula. After seeing a decrepit old man, and invalid, and an ascetic beggar, he learned of suffering and decided to embrace asceticism. Soon afterwards, at age 29, Siddhartha left the palace and his family and went to a hermitage where he became the monk Gautama, or, as he is still called, Sakyamuni (The ascetic of the Sakyas). Once day, meditating under a sacred figtree, he attained perfect illumination (Bodhi). He had become a Buddha. From there on he traveled and preached for 44 years what was to become one of the main religions of the world. He died at Kusinagara at age 80.

Life of Buddha : This sculpture shows key scenes in the life of Buddha beginning with his birth in the lower left corner and also including his illumination and death. Gautama Buddha was born in 563BC in northeast India. The Buddha was the son of the King of the Sakyas, Suddhodana, who ruled at Kapilavastu, on the border of Nepal. His mother was Queen Maya. He was named Siddhartha. He lived amidst the pleasures of palace life and at age 16 was married to Princess Yasodhara. They had a son named Rabula. After seeing a decrepit old man, and invalid, and an ascetic beggar, he learned of suffering and decided to embrace asceticism. Soon afterwards, at age 29, Siddhartha left the palace and his family and went to a hermitage where he became the monk Gautama, or, as he is still called, Sakyamuni (The ascetic of the Sakyas). Once day, meditating under a sacred figtree, he attained perfect illumination (Bodhi). He had become a Buddha. From there on he traveled and preached for 44 years what was to become one of the main religions of the world. He died at Kusinagara at age 80.

Kuan-Yin In Meditation : Kuan Yin, originally know as Avalokiteswara (‘the Lord who regards’), is a highly revered manifestation of the Buddha who appears in Chinese scriptures around 400AD. Kuan Yin means ‘one who hears the cries of the world’ and personifies the compassion of the Buddha for the needy. She is the embodiment of the yin principle. She is usually represented as a young female deity but she has the power to assume whatever form necessary in order to carry out her vow which is to appeal in any way necessary to lead beings out of suffering.

Standing Kuan-Yin : Kuan Yin, originally know as Avalokiteswara (‘the Lord who regards’), is a highly revered manifestation of the Buddha who appears in Chinese scriptures around 400AD. Kuan Yin means ‘one who hears the cries of the world’ and personifies the compassion of the Buddha for the needy. She is the embodiment of the yin principle. She is usually represented as a young female deity but she has the power to assume whatever form necessary in order to carry out her vow which is to appeal in any way necessary to lead beings out of suffering.

Green Tara : Tara’s name means One Who Saves. She epitomizes the influence of the older mother-goddess cults upon the Buddhist Mahayana religion. Her concept evolved in India and later she became the most important goddess in the Mahayana pantheon. She holds a very prominent position in Tibet and Nepal. Tara was born from the tear of the Boddhisarwa of Compassion, Avolokiteswora. She was conceived primarily as a savioress and is, therefore, the female counterpart of Avolokiteswora. She is also generally regarded as his consort and is frequently portrayed with him. Tara is believed to protect the human beings while they are crossing the ocean of existence. Her compassion for living beings, her desire to save them from suffering, is said to be stronger than a mother’s love for her children. Her most distinctive emblem is the blue lotus which she carries in her left hand. Among the forms of Tara: when she is red, yellow, and blue she is in menacing mood; whit or green she is gentle and loving. This is the same twofold nature as Shiva’s wife.

Gallen Priory Cross - County Offaly, Ireland, 950AD : The Celts were the ancient inhabitants of much of Europe. A spiritual people, their rich mythology and symbology later merged with the Christian beliefs they embraced to create a distinctive art seen especially in Ireland and Scotland. The Celtic Cross is know throughout the world as the emblem of Celtic Christianity and it can be considered the symbol of Celticness itself. Celtic Crosses began to appear during the fifth century A.D., and it’s shape is derived from a pagan sun symbol, the sunwheel, which later became a symbol of the Christian Godhead. The sunwheel was originally a cross surrounded by a circle with a center stone representing the sun and “mock suns” at the four quarters. The stone at the center of the circle also represents the navel of the world. The stone pillar of the cross also embodies phallic and fertility characteristics. The cross represents eternal life; it’s horizontal axis being the earthly world and the vertical axis the heavenly world coming together as the union of Heaven and Earth. Celtic Crosses are embued with continuous and interwoven knot and spiral motifs symbolizing the continuity of life, death, and rebirth. Celtic Crosses often have images of the Christian crucifixion, patriarchs and saints.

High Celtic Cross of Muireadach - Monasterboice County Louth, Ireland, 1000AD : The Celts were the ancient inhabitants of much of Europe. A spiritual people, their rich mythology and symbology later merged with the Christian beliefs they embraced to create a distinctive art seen especially in Ireland and Scotland. The Celtic Cross is know throughout the world as the emblem of Celtic Christianity and it can be considered the symbol of Celticness itself. Celtic Crosses began to appear during the fifth century A.D., and it’s shape is derived from a pagan sun symbol, the sunwheel, which later became a symbol of the Christian Godhead. The sunwheel was originally a cross surrounded by a circle with a center stone representing the sun and “mock suns” at the four quarters. The stone at the center of the circle also represents the navel of the world. The stone pillar of the cross also embodies phallic and fertility characteristics. The cross represents eternal life; it’s horizontal axis being the earthly world and the vertical axis the heavenly world coming together as the union of Heaven and Earth. Celtic Crosses are embued with continuous and interwoven knot and spiral motifs symbolizing the continuity of life, death, and rebirth. Celtic Crosses often have images of the Christian crucifixion, patriarchs and saints.

Celtic Crucifix of Athlone - County Roscommon, Ireland, 800AD : The Celts were the ancient inhabitants of much of Europe. A spiritual people, their rich mythology and symbology later merged with the Christian beliefs they embraced to create a distinctive art seen especially in Ireland and Scotland. The Celtic Cross is know throughout the world as the emblem of Celtic Christianity and it can be considered the symbol of Celticness itself. Celtic Crosses began to appear during the fifth century A.D., and it’s shape is derived from a pagan sun symbol, the sunwheel, which later became a symbol of the Christian Godhead. The sunwheel was originally a cross surrounded by a circle with a center stone representing the sun and “mock suns” at the four quarters. The stone at the center of the circle also represents the navel of the world. The stone pillar of the cross also embodies phallic and fertility characteristics. The cross represents eternal life; it’s horizontal axis being the earthly world and the vertical axis the heavenly world coming together as the union of Heaven and Earth. Celtic Crosses are embued with continuous and interwoven knot and spiral motifs symbolizing the continuity of life, death, and rebirth. Celtic Crosses often have images of the Christian crucifixion, patriarchs and saints.

Celtic Cross of Duplin, Forteviot, Scotland, 1000AD : The Celts were the ancient inhabitants of much of Europe. A spiritual people, their rich mythology and symbology later merged with the Christian beliefs they embraced to create a distinctive art seen especially in Ireland and Scotland. The Celtic Cross is know throughout the world as the emblem of Celtic Christianity and it can be considered the symbol of Celticness itself. Celtic Crosses began to appear during the fifth century A.D., and it’s shape is derived from a pagan sun symbol, the sunwheel, which later became a symbol of the Christian Godhead. The sunwheel was originally a cross surrounded by a circle with a center stone representing the sun and “mock suns” at the four quarters. The stone at the center of the circle also represents the navel of the world. The stone pillar of the cross also embodies phallic and fertility characteristics. The cross represents eternal life; it’s horizontal axis being the earthly world and the vertical axis the heavenly world coming together as the union of Heaven and Earth. Celtic Crosses are embued with continuous and interwoven knot and spiral motifs symbolizing the continuity of life, death, and rebirth. Celtic Crosses often have images of the Christian crucifixion, patriarchs and saints.

Greek Sphinx - Delphi Museum, Greece, 460BC : The Greek Sphinx had a woman’s head, lion’s body, serpent’s tail and eagle’s wings. Sent by Hera to punish Thebes for displeasing the Goddess, she settled on Mount Phicium, near the city and asked everyone who passed by to answer a riddle she had learned from the three Muses: “What being, with only one voice, has sometimes two fee, sometimes three, sometimes four, and is weakest when it has the most?” Anyone unable to render the correct answer was immediately slain. One day Oedipus chanced along that road and guessed the answer: “Man, because he crawls on all four as an infant, stands firmly on his two feet in his youth and leans on a staff in his old age.” Completely shattered by her defeat, the Sphinx threw herself from the mountain and Oedipus was acclaimed King. The people from the island of Naxos gave this sphinx to the city of Delphi as a gift to the oracle.

Hecate (Greek Triple Goddess) - Metropolitian Museum of Art, New York : Hecate originally derived from the Egyptian midwife Goddess Hekat. In Greece, Hecate was one of the many names for the original feminine trinity ruling Heaven, Earth and the Underworld. Greeks tend to emphasize her crone or underworld aspect. Hecate was called “Most lovely one”, a title of the moon. She was associated with the moon in all three of her aspects. Some said she was Hecate Selene, the Moon in Heaven; Artemis the Huntress on Earth and Persephone the Destroyer in the Underworld. Sometimes she was part of the Queen of Heaven Trinity; Hebe the Virgin, Hera the Mother and Hecate the Crone.

Aphrodite of Melos - Louvre Museum, Paris, 200BC : Her graceful body symbolizes and ideal of beauty that many long for but none attain. The French named here the Venus of Milo. In 1820, a peasant named Yorgos found her broken body in an underground cavern on the Aegean island of Melos. Later she was taken out of Greece under unclear circumstances to Paris, where she was to be admired by the millions of visitors to that country’s great museum, the Louvre! Aphrodite was the Goddess of Love, identified in Rome with Venus. Although Homer describes Aphrodite as the daughter of Zeus and Dion, the more popular view was that she was conceived in the foam of the ocean from the seed of Uranus. Dropped there when he was castrated, her name meaning “foam-born”. Aphrodite was married to Hephaestus, but she loved Ares and she was known for her many love affairs, notably with Adonis and Anchises.

Head of Hermes - National Museum, Athens, 325BC : This bust is part of a statue discovered beneath the waters of the Bay of Marathon in 1926. All its’ harmonious lines show that it was an advanced work of Praxiteles, one of the greatest sculptors of the 4th Century B.C. With the growth of the Olympian Pantheon, the story was that Zeus beget Hermes by the nymph Maia, daughter of Atlas, and as one of the Olympians, Hermes assumed the role of Patron of Travelers and Divine Messenger of the Gods. Travel, commerce, learning, agility, games of chance, all kinds of profit and all forms of mental activity were his forte. He is usually depicted carrying a Caduceus, the insignia of the medical profession. He is credited with the invention of the lyre which he gave to Apollo in exchange for the Caduceus. His symbols are Caduceus, Petasus (Winged Helmet) and Talaria (Winged Sandals).

Athena Relief : Athena was the Greek Goddess of wisdom and women’s crafts. She was also a defender against evil and a warrior Goddess par excellence. She was the daughter of Zeus and Metis. When Metis became pregnant, Gaia and Uranus told Zeus that after giving birth to a daughter, she would then have a son by Zeus who would later dethrone him. On Gaia’s advice, Zeus swallowed Metis. When the time came for the child to be born, Zeus was afflicted with a dreadful headache and sought the help of Hephaestus who split his skull with a bronze axe to relieve the pain. A girl in full armor sprang forth from his head: It was Athena, Athena’s attributes were the spear, the helmet, and the Aegis (a goat-skin shield). She attached the Gorgon’s head which Perseus had given her to her shield, and this turned to stone every living thing that looked at it.

The Three Graces - Louvre Museum, Paris, 100BC : They are the beautiful sister Goddesses who attended Aphrodite, the Goddess of love and were personifications of grace and beauty. They spread the joy of nature and lived on Olympus. Their names, number and parentage vary, but they are generally said to be three sisters named Euphrosyne, who represented jollity, Thalia identified with abundance, and Aglaca, a representation of splendor. They are daughters of Zeus and Euryeome or Hera. They influenced artists throughout the ages. They were depicted in sculpture and vase paintings by the ancient Greeks, in Roman wall paintings at Pompeii, in Botticelli’s allegorical painting known as Springtime, and in a marble statue carved by Canova. In art they are frequently represented as naked girls with their hands on each other’s shoulders, the two outer figures looking one way and the middle one looking the other.

Lid of the Sarcophagus of Palenque - Temple of Inscriptions, Palenque, 692AD : In the city of Palenque, in a temple on top of a pyramid, the archaeologist Albert Lluillier found in 1952 the access to a funerary crypt that houses the sarcophagus of the King Pacal Votan the Great (615-683AD), The Soviet scientist Alexander Kazantev came out with the theory that the relief on the lid of the sarcophagus represents an astronaut and his spaceship but according to the Mayan legend, the symbols of the lid shows King Pacal falling into the jaws of the Earth monster each night to rise again with the power of the sun each morning. Its teeth are enlarged to demonstrate its encompassing power. At the top is the mythological “Moun” bird. The pillar-like construction above Pacal’s head is the tree of life. The lid is twelve feet long.

King Chan-Bahlun (Bird-Jaguar) - Temple of the Foliated Cross, Palenque, 692AD : This sculpture is a fragment of a larger scene that shows one of the ascension rituals of Chan-Bahlum to the throne of the city of Palenque. Chan-Bahlum is shown presenting the “Tialoc” , a symbol of ritual bloodletting to the foliated tree of life. On the other side of the tree is the deceased King Pacal, father of Chan-Bahlum transferring the powers of kingship to his son. This scene occurs in Xibalba, the Maya underworld. Chan-Bahlum and his father Pacal, were the most important kings of Palenque and their reign can be considered the golden period of Palenque during which the city became the most important religious and political center in the Yucatan. Pacal and Chan-Bahlum built all the important temples and buildings of the city. Chan-Bahlum was responsible for building the three temples of the Group of the Cross from which this religious relief originates. During their reign, art reached new realms of technical sophistication. The name Chan-Bahlum means “Snake-Jaguar”. He was born in 635AD., ascended to the throne on 684AD, at the age of 48 and died in 702AD.

Aztec Solar Calendar - Antrop Museum, Mexico City, 1500AD : The Aztec calendar set out the mathematical formulas according to which the whole universe was organized which governed the actions of men and Gods alike. The calendar is actually two: the Xiupohualli or the count of the days and the Tonalpohualli or the count of destiny. The calendar had to be consulted through the priests before engaging in any activity whether it was farming, warfare, religion or commerce. In addition to the count of the days, it also has astronomical data like the phases of the moon and Venus, and the years of Mercury and Mars. The calendar also mentions the four eras of humanity know as ‘suns’ before our own: all ended in cataclysm. The sun that is now ours, the fifth one, Nahui Ollin (“four earthquake”) is supposed to end by cataclysmic earthquakes. The Aztecs attributed the invention of the calendar to the God Quetzalcoatl. The calendar weighs 25 tons and has a diameter of eleven feet.

Minoan Snake Goddess - Herakleion Museum, Crete, 1600BC : This figurine represents an agricultural fertility Goddess or her Priestess. The original was found in a storage room in the Palace of Knossos, Crete. She is a votive offering and not a cult figure and therefore, probably represents a Priestess who is perhaps a princess of the palace. Although she is dressed in the garb of her deity, a Cretan Earth Mother, she is a personification of Earth from which all life springs and returns. She carries the snakes, symbols of death and rebirth. Crouching on her crown is a lion cub, usually associated with royal houses. In her crown are poppy pods, indicating the use of opium in her worship.

Bust of Akhenaton - Egyptian Museum, Cairo, 1365BC : Akhenaton, originally named Amenhotep IV, ruled Egypt for 17 years (1367-1350BC) together with his beautiful Queen Nefertiti. He was son of Amenhotep III. The priesthood of Amun at Thebes, enormously enriched by the tribute donated by the Pharaohs to the God, became the real power. Like his father before him, Akhenaton initially recognized the power of the Priests of Amun at Thebes but after the fifth year of his reign, he changed the state cult of Amun to that of Aten, the Unique God. He also assumed the name Akhenaton (“The Glory of the Aten”). This began two decades of religious reforms overthrowing millennia of traditional religious and civil life. Akhenaton erected a temple to the Sun God at Karnak. The Aten temple contained a peristyle court whose pillars supported colossal statues of the King. This bust is what remains of one of them.

Bust of Ramses II - Egyptian Museum, Turin, Italy, 1250BC : The most celebrated of all Pharaohs, Ramses II, is well know for the length of his reign, the numerous temples he built and his military campaigns, such as the battle of Kadesh where Ramses II, facing the army of Muwattali, King of the Hittites found himself surrounded by 2500 Hittite Charioteers with only his personal bodyguard to help him. As the enemy closed in around him, Pharaoh leaped into his chariot, tied the reigns around his waist to leave his hands free, sent forth a great cry for help to Amun and charged six times against the Hittites, finally breaking through and winning the battle. Ramses II was the son of Seti I and was crowned Pharaoh in 1290BC. When he was 18 years old. Ramses II had many wives but the first and favorite chief Queen was Nefertari. Ramses died at the age of 85 after ruling Egypt for 67 years. This bust from a seated statue of Ramses II is a portrait of the young King in which grace and grandeur are intermixed.

Ankh : Only Kings, Queens, and Gods were allowed to carry this symbol. The ankh is the Egyptian sign of life and indicates that the King or God holding it has the power to give or take life away from lesser mortals. The Ankh, as a symbol of the life giving elements of air and water, was often used by a God or Goddess who holds the ankh before the Kin's nose, giving him the "breath of life" or as streams of water in the form of ankhs running over the King during ritual purification. This ankh is decorated with the "djed" pillar and the dog-headed "was" scepter. The djed pillar was a symbol of stability and was considered the backbone of the God Osiris. The was scepter was a popular symbol for the Gods to hold and means well-being and happiness. The kneeling figure on top of the djed pillar is the God of "millions of years" holding branches in his hands.

Isis and Queen Nefertari - Valley of the Queens, Luxor, 1270BC : The tomb of Nefertari, from which this wall fragment comes, is the largest architectural and decorative enterprise ever dedicated to a Pharaoh’s wife. Nefertari was named Nefertari was the chief Queen and favorite wife of Ramses II. The name Nefertari means “the most beautiful of them”. Ramses II devoted the minor temple of Abu Simbel to the Goddess Hathor and dedicated it to Nefertari. There, identified with the Goddess, Nefertari intensely participated in the divine cult. Nefertari gave Ramses II his firstborn son as well as three other sons and two daughters. Nefertari died in her forties. Nefertari, with a beautiful white ceremonial garb receives the breath of life from Isis, the Mother Goddess. The hieroglyphic inscription gives the name of the Queen and her titles as well as the one from Isis: “Isis, Lady in Heaven, Great Royal Wife, Nefertari-Mery-En-Mut. Justified”.

Thoth Relief : Originally named Tehuti by the Egyptians, Thoth was given his better known name by the Greeks. They linked him to their god Hermes, and like Hermes he was considered to be the god of wisdom, writing, and invention. He is represented by as a man with the head of an ibis, which is often crowned by the crescent moon supporting the full moon disk. He often holds a writing palette. Thoth invented the arts and sciences, music, and magic. Thoth was the god of learning, but above all, was famed for being the creator of hieroglyphs, and was known as "the lord of holy words". Thoth was ocassionally described as the toungue or heart of Ra, and as the god of magic, he was called "the elder".

Mummification - Tomb of Senneden, Thebes, 1400BC : The God Anubis is represented here embalming the body of the high official Sennedjem. The term embalming (Senefer) means “to give vitality again” and the embalming house (per nefer) means “the house of vitality”. For the Egyptians, death was transitory and the mummification allowed the deceased to be prepared for the trip to the underworld and immortality. The process of mummification lasted seventy days. First, the body had ritual washings, then, most of the brain was taken out through an opening in the nose. The rest was dissolved with aromatic products. The heart, lungs and viscera were taken out and placed in four jars. The heart was replaced by one of the ceramic or stone. The body submerged for seventy days in dry natron became incorruptible and finally it was washed, dried, and bandaged with fine linen at the same time that sacred formulas were chanted.

Victory Palette of King Narmer - From Hierakonpolis, Egyptian Museum, Cairo, 3200BC : This palette commemorates the victories of King Narmer, also know as Menes, the first Pharaoh and the unifier of Upper and Lower Egypt. The upper part has on both sides, the bovine heads of the Goddess Hathor. The reverse side shows the King brandishing a mace, poised to smite a prisoner. This symbolizes the triumph of order over chaos. In front of Narmer, the Horus falcon, protector of Kingship, holds a prisioner by a rope. Below are shown two slain enemies. The other side shows the King escorted by standard-bearers, approaching the temple of Horus and inspecting the beheaded corpses of enemies. Two beasts in the central part represent the two rival halves of the land now subdued. At the bottom, the King is portrayed as a bull destroying a captured fortress. The events commemorated here, led to the unification of the country, the beginnings of official hieroglyphics writing and divine representations, and therefore render this palette one of the most famous and important pieces in Egyptian art.

Head of Buddha : Gautama Buddha was born in 563BC in northeast India. The Buddha was the son of the King of the Sakyas, Suddhodana, who ruled at Kapilavastu, on the border of Nepal. His mother was Queen Maya. He was named Siddhartha. He lived amidst the pleasures of palace life and at age 16 was married to Princess Yasodhara. They had a son named Rabula. After seeing a decrepit old man, and invalid, and an ascetic beggar, he learned of suffering and decided to embrace asceticism. Soon afterwards, at age 29, Siddhartha left the palace and his family and went to a hermitage where he became the monk Gautama, or, as he is still called, Sakyamuni (The ascetic of the Sakyas). Once day, meditating under a sacred figtree, he attained perfect illumination (Bodhi). He had become a Buddha. From there on he traveled and preached for 44 years what was to become one of the main religions of the world. He died at Kusinagara at age 80.

Kuan-Yin with Rosary : Kuan Yin, originally know as Avalokiteswara (‘the Lord who regards’), is a highly revered manifestation of the Buddha who appears in Chinese scriptures around 400AD. Kuan Yin means ‘one who hears the cries of the world’ and personifies the compassion of the Buddha for the needy. She is the embodiment of the yin principle. She is usually represented as a young female deity but she has the power to assume whatever form necessary in order to carry out her vow which is to appeal in any way necessary to lead beings out of suffering.

Archangel Gabriel Sounding The Trumpet - Ghat Cathedral, Belgium, 1475AD : Gabriel means “God is my strength”. Gabriel is the Angel of annunciation, resurrection, mercy, vengeance, death and revelation. Gabriel is the ruler of heaven and ruler of the Cherubim. Gabriel is said to sit on the left hand side of God. Mohammed claimed it was Gabriel who dictated to him the Koran. In Jewish legend it was Gabriel who dealt death and destruction to Sodom and Gommorah. Gabriel appeared to Daniel to tell him of the coming of a Messiah: a message which later he repeats to Mary in the annunciation. Earlier he had announced to Zacharias the coming of John the Baptist

Archangel Raphael - 1475AD : Raphael means “God has Healed”. Raphael is above all the Angel of Healing as his name denotes, but also is the chief ruling Prince of the 2nd Heaven, Chief of the Order of Virtues, Guardian of the Tree of Life in Eden and by his own admission “One of the 7 Holy Angels” that attend the throne of God. This he reveals to Tobias in the Book of Tobit. He is declared to be “One of the Four Presences set over all the diseases and wounds of the children of men” (Enoch 1), and in the Zohar is “Charged to heal the Earth”. Raphael is one of the six Angels of Repentance, Angel of Prayer, Love, Joy, and Light. He is said to have the six wings of a Seraphim but at the same time belongs to the Cherubim, the Dominions and the Powers.

Athena - National Museum, Athens, 340BC : Athena was the Greek Goddess of wisdom and women’s crafts. She was also a defender against evil and a warrior Goddess par excellence. She was the daughter of Zeus and Metis. When Metis became pregnant, Gaia and Uranus told Zeus that after giving birth to a daughter, she would then have a son by Zeus who would later dethrone him. On Gaia’s advice, Zeus swallowed Metis. When the time came for the child to be born, Zeus was afflicted with a dreadful headache and sought the help of Hephaestus who split his skull with a bronze axe to relieve the pain. A girl in full armor sprang forth from his head: It was Athena, Athena’s attributes were the spear, the helmet, and the Aegis (a goat-skin shield). She attached the Gorgon’s head which Perseus had given her to her shield, and this turned to stone every living thing that looked at it.

Head of Zeus - National Museum, Athens, 450BC : This bust was taken from the magnificent full figure which was first called Poseidon, God of the Sea. That identification is now questioned. The balance of evidence tilts towards Zeus, the Chief of the Olympian Gods, and this is now accepted by the majority of archaeologist. An arm of the statue was first found in 1926 under the sea in the remains of an old shipwreck north of Athens. The rest of the figure was recovered two years later. Many art historians believe that the statue was that work of Kalamis. Zeus ruled over the sky and all atmospheric phenomena – winds, clouds, rain and even the destructive thunder and lightning came under his command. Being ruler of the sky, he was venerated in lofty places such as mountaintops. The oak was sacred to him as was the thunderbolt and eagle.

Bust of Apollo - National Museum, Athens, 520BC : Apollo was the son of the god Zeus and Leto, daughter of a Titan. He also bore the epithets "Delian" from Delos, the island of his birth, and "Pythian," from his killing of the Python, the fabled serpent that guarded a shrine on the slopes of Mount Parnassus. In Homeric legend Apollo was primarily a god of prophecy. His most important oracle was at Delphi, the site of his victory over the Python. He sometimes gave the gift of prophecy to mortals whom he loved, such as the Trojan princess Cassandra. He was also a master archer and a fleet-footed athlete, credited with having been the first victor in the Olympian Games.

Hercules Relief : One of the greatest heroes of ancient Greek mythology, Heracles, better known by his Roman name Hercules, was supposedly the strongest man on earth. The son of Zeus-the ruler of the Greek gods-and a human mother, Hercules won fame for completing twelve seemingly impossible tasks, known as the "Labors of Hercules."

Aztec Moon Goddess Coyolxauhqui - Temple Mayor Museum, Mexico City, 1400AD : This sculpture, 10 feet in diameter, is one of the most impressive and important examples of Aztec art. Her name is Coyolxauhqui, which means “She of the Rattles on her Cheeks”. She was also called one who “spoke to all the centipedes and spiders and transformed herself into a sorceress” or a “very evil woman”. She was one of the major goddesses in Aztec mythology. In a mythical representation of the triumph of the sun over the powers of night personified by Coyolxauhqui as a lunar goddess, she is shown decapitated and dismembered after she was slain by her brother, the Sun God Huitzilopochtli. Here, bells decorate her cheek, and in accordance with her ferocious image, she wears a skull on her belt and serpent armbands with claws attached.

Notre Dame Gargoyle - West façade bordering the Rue du Cloitre-Notre-Dame, Paris, 13th Century AD : One of the original 13th century gargoyles on the west facade bordering the Rue du Cloitre-Notre-Dame in Paris. Here the practical function of the gargoyle as a downspout carrying rain water from the roof (hence the derivation gargouiller, Old French, a gargling sound) is united with its spiritual purpose, that of frightening evil spirits away from the Cathedral. The better known 19th century fantasies by restorer Violet le Duc, though often copied, serve only the latter function.

Unicorn from Cluny Tapestry Sight - Tapestry at Cluny Museum, Paris, 15th Century AD : Unicorn from Cluny Tapestry Sight - This relief is based on the 15th century tapestry, Sight, one of a series of allegories of the senses depicting the Lady, the Unicorn and the Lion. The Unicorn, one of the most powerful and poignant of medieval symbols, represented both spiritual and courtly love. As Christ, he is betrayed, captured and put to death, but is ultimately immortal. In the Cluny Tapestries, he is the tender and trusting lover.

Muiredach Cross Cats - Monasterboice, County Louth, Ireland, Mid 9th Century AD : The design for this relief was adapted from a detail on the west face of Muiredach's Cross at Momsterboice, County Louth, one of the largest and finest of the surviving Irish high crosses. The cats' unusually benevolent relationship to the dove and mouse recall the Old Testament prophecies of Isaiah (Chapter 11, Verse 6) in which the coming of the Messiah ("The Branch of Jesse") will usher in a new era of tolerance and love.

Triple Cross - Byzantine : A traditional piece from Byzantine and Russian sources. The Church Slavonic script reads from the top, and left to right, as follows: "King of Glory," "INRI [Jesus Nazarene King of Judea]," "Son of God," "Jesus Christ," "Your Cross we adore 0 Lord/Master." At his feet are the words, "To Conquer." At his left side are a Holy Apostle and a converted Roman soldier. At his right side are St. Mary and St. Martha. Below his feet is the skull of Adam in keeping with the legend that the Cross would come to be erected over Adam's grave. At the very top are the figures of God and the Archangels Gabriel and Michael. This piece was reproduced from the original, which was cast in gold.

Archangel Michael - Icon on Old Wood. : His name means “Who is as God”. Michael ranks as the greatest of all angels whether in Jewish, Christian, or Islamic writings. He is Chief of the Order of Virtues, Chief of Archangels, Prince of the Presence, the Angel of Repentance, Righteousness, Mercy, and Sanctification: Also, Ruler of the 4th Heaven and Conqueror of Satan. It is Michael who will descend from heaven with “the Key to the Abyss and a great chain in his hand” to “bind the Satanic Dragon for 1000 years” (Revelation: 20:1). It is foretold in Daniel that when the world is once again in real trouble, Michael will reappear. Among the Dead Sea Scrolls there is one titled “The Ware of the Sons of Light against the Sons of Darkness”. Here, Michael is called the “Prince of Light”. Michael, holding in his hand the Scales of Justice, is representing as the Angel of the Final Reckoning and the Weigher of Souls.

The Gold Funerary Mask of King Tutankhamum : Found on the king's mummified body, the gold mask was the most famous treasure to emerge from his tomb. The cobra and vulture on the headdress are symbols of his dominance over upper and lower Egypt. The false beard of divinity, attached to the chin, is that of Osiris, ruler of the netherworld. Engravings on the back comprise a spell from the Book of the Dead. The original mask was of gold inlaid with various precious stones and glass.

LOT 820 : 11"H, Full Mask with engravings on the back. Of cultured marble, hand gold leafed and detailed, on Marble base.

Canopic Coffin : Encased in the Canopic Shrine of King Tutankhamun were four solid miniature replicas of his middle coffin - which preserved his embalmed organs. Tut was represented as the God Osiris wearing an artificial beard and holding crook and flail, symbols of his dominance over Upper and Lower Egypt.

Anubis : The jackel god, Anubis, stood guard at the entrance to the tomb's treasury, protecting "secret things". The origin of this god lay in the fact that jackals could be heard howling in the desert to the west of the Nile at sunset - at the time was burials usually took place. Anubis was always associated with death.

Isis : Isis, the most famous goddess of ancient Egypt, was the wife of Osiris and the mother of Horus. Isis had a reputation as an enchantress. Her magic was allied to the wisdom of Thoth and was given to mankind as a skill of healing. Isis performed, for the first time in history, the rites of embalmment to restore Osiris to eternal life.

Triad of Mycerinus : This piece depicts Mycerinus accompanied by the goddess Hathor and the personification of a nome (province) of Egypt. This and other such triads associate Hathor with the king as guarantor of the fertile products for the royal cult.

Hathor and Psammetik : The Psammetik, who deposited this statue in his tomb, was a high official with immortal; "overseer of seals","governor of the palace". He is placed here under the protection of the Hathor cow, goddess of love and joy.

Selket, Goddess of Magic : As archaeologist Howard Carter poked a hole in the door of King Tutankhamun's tomb, then peeked in with the aid of a flashlight, his backer Lord Carnovan anxiously asked if he could see anything. "Yes, Wonderful Things," replied Carter. In the shrine containing the King's vital organs were four beautiful goddesses. Selket who protected the intestines, divine role was not limited to funerary duties; like her three companion goddesses she acquired those functions in virtue of her long established reputation in a wider field of protection. She was chiefly noted for her control of magic and, in particular, for treating scorpion stings by means of magic.

Ramses II Colossus : King of ancient Egypt, Ramses II created massive temples and monuments which stood as symbols to remind travelers of Egypt's grandeur. It is believed that during the reign of Ramses II, Moses lead the Isrealites from Egypt.

Cartouche Box : The names of kings and other members of the royal family were written in hieroglyphics in oval rings which were called "cartouches". This box, in the shape of a cartouche, had Tutankhamun's name in cameo fashion on the top. The knobs on the lid and the front of the box were for wrapping twine upon which melted wax was poured and a seal inscribed with a signet ring. The original contained jewelry and other personal items of the King.

Nefertari Temple at Abu Simbel : The northern temple at Abu Simbel was built by Ramses II to honor his favorite wife, Queen Nefertari. This and the Ramses II temple were also used as treasure storehouses.

Nefertiti - Berlin Museum : Nefertiti means 'the beautiful one is come:' She was the wife of King Ankhenaton, King Tutankhamun's father, and her daughter was Ankhesenanun, Tutankhamun's wife. The beauty of her face and the talent of the sculptor have made this bust universally known.

LOT 840 : 11" H, Reproduced in polymer, hand detailed (including imperfections) like the original in the

Ungent Jar : A recumbent lion. bearing King Tutankhamun's cartouche sits on top. On each side is a lively scene of animals engaged in combat. At the base are the heads of two Africans and two Asians, who were defeated in battle.

LOT 844 : 10.25"L, This full size replica is of cultured onyx with intricate hand detailing.

Wishing Cup : The alabaster chalice represents a single bloom of the white lotus. Its discoverers called it the "Wi5hing cup" from it's inscription to Tutankhamun: "May you spend millions of years, you who love Thebes. sitting with your face to the north wind, your two eyes beholding happiness."

Headrest : This beautiful headrest shows Shu, God of the Air, holding a curved support for the head. The two lions symbolize the mountains on the eastern and western horizons, between which the sun rose and set.

LOT 849 : 7"H x 11"W, Full-size replica of cultured marble and hand detailed to capture the look of the ivory original

Obelisk : The pharaohs. builders of Egypt's temples, sought to honor the gods, not only with massive construction, but also with works of art. These steles were meant primarily to advertise the monarch's zeal in serving the gods.

Ceremonial Flabellum : This stately fan was used at important ceremonies and functions of King Tutankhamun. The semicircular palm of the flabellum had holes on the outer edge which held several long ostrich feathers. The gentle motion of the fan was designed to restore the breath of life to the King as well as to create the fresh breeze needed in the afterlife. Depicted on the palm are the hieroglyphic royal cartouches of Tutankhamun protected by two winged vultures representing the protective goddess Nekhbet: one wearing the crown of Upper Egypt, the other adorned with the tiara of Lower Egypt. Made of wood, covered in gold sheeting, and mounted on a long gilded wooden stick, the classical elegance of this piece represents the tradition of fine goldsmith craftsmanship during the Middle Kingdom.

LOT 856 : 11.75"H, This full-size replica of the upper portion of the long flabellum is reproduced in cultured marble and polymer, goldleaf, and hand painted.

The Gold Funerary Mask of King Tutankhamum : Found on the king's mummified body, the gold mask was the most famous treasure to emerge from his tomb. The cobra and vulture on the headdress are symbols of his dominance over upper and lower Egypt. The false beard of divinity, attached to the chin, is that of Osiris, ruler of the netherworld. Engravings on the back comprise a spell from the Book of the Dead. The original mask was of gold inlaid with various precious stones and glass.

LOT 857 : 23"H x 16"W, This replica is full size and includes most of the imperfections of the original . It is made of reinforced cultured marble, hand gold leafed and hand detailed

Selket, Goddess of Magic : The Goddess of magic, overwhelmed Howard Carter with her ethereal beauty when he first saw her in the dim light of the tomb, guarding with outstretched hands, the massive Canopic Shrine. She wears a pleated shawl over a close fitting dress with short sleeves, and over both garments a broad collar modeled to imitate rows of beads. On her head is a linen kerchief into which her hair is gathered and tied at the neck. One of Selket's special functions was the healing of scorpion stings by magic.

LOT 858 : 42"H, This full size replica was originally hand carved from wood, same as the original. It is hand cast in polymer, gold leafed and detailed, including the imperfections of the original

Anubis : The jackel god, Anubis, stood guard at the entrance to the tomb's treasury, protecting "secret things". The origin of this god lay in the fact that jackals could be heard howling in the desert to the west of the Nile at sunset - at the time was burials usually took place. Anubis was always associated with death.

LOT 859 : 28.5"L, 19.5H, 12"W, This replica is of polymer,gold and silvre leafed per the original

Wall Hanging Funerary Mask : Found on the king's mummified body, the gold mask was the most famous treasure to emerge from his tomb. The cobra and vulture on the headdress are symbols of his dominance over upper and lower Egypt. The false beard of divinity, attached to the chin, is that of Osiris, ruler of the netherworld. Engravings on the back comprise a spell from the Book of the Dead. The original mask was of gold inlaid with various precious stones and glass.

LOT 861 : 23"H x 16"W, Full size replica includes most of the imperfections of the original . It is made of polymer marble, hand gold leafed and intricately detailed

Winged Isis : Isis was the most famous goddess of ancient Egypt. She was the wife of Osiris and the mother of Horus. Isis was revered as the 'Great Enchantress' and protected Osiris after death. She used her wings in an attempt to transmit the breath of life to him.

Ushabti : The Ushabti is a figurine, usually mummiform, which was placed in the tomb to carry out the necessary work in the next world which the deceased might be called upon to do. Ushabtis were also used to answer in the name of the deceased for the possible actions that they had done while alive – thus the origin of the name, Ushabti, “the one that answers”. Whenever the deceased was called in the next world to sow the fields, carry sand, etc., the Ushabti was supposed to reply, “Here am I”. The best examples like the one represented here were inscribed with a version of the sixth chapter of the Book of the Dead. It was believed that the recitation of the text could make the figure come alive to carry out the obligations asked for in the other world to the deceased. Here the Ushabti holds a pickaxe and an adze.

Ushabti : The Ushabti is a figurine, usually mummiform, which was placed in the tomb to carry out the necessary work in the next world which the deceased might be called upon to do. Ushabtis were also used to answer in the name of the deceased for the possible actions that they had done while alive – thus the origin of the name, Ushabti, “the one that answers”. Whenever the deceased was called in the next world to sow the fields, carry sand, etc., the Ushabti was supposed to reply, “Here am I”. The best examples like the one represented here were inscribed with a version of the sixth chapter of the Book of the Dead. It was believed that the recitation of the text could make the figure come alive to carry out the obligations asked for in the other world to the deceased. Here the Ushabti holds a pickaxe and an adze.

Hapi Canopic Jar : Canopic jars were the vessels for the preservation of the internal organs of the mummy after embalming. They were typically kept in a shrine protected by the gods and goddesses of the underworld.

Imsety Canopic Jar : Canopic jars were the vessels for the preservation of the internal organs of the mummy after embalming. They were typically kept in a shrine protected by the gods and goddesses of the underworld.

Qebsennuef Canopic Jar : Canopic jars were the vessels for the preservation of the internal organs of the mummy after embalming. They were typically kept in a shrine protected by the gods and goddesses of the underworld.

Duamatef Canopic Jar : Canopic jars were the vessels for the preservation of the internal organs of the mummy after embalming. They were typically kept in a shrine protected by the gods and goddesses of the underworld.

Hathor Oil Lamp : This lamp dates back and is made from the same elements from the west bank of the Nile River, where sits a famous temple dedicated to the Egyptian goddess Hathor. The temple was begun by Ptolemy XII, king of Egypt, in the 1st century BC and completed during the reign of Augustus, emperor of Rome. It is one of the best preserved and most imposing edifices of ancient Egypt. PLEASE NOTE: This Item is sold as a decorative object ONLY, NOT for ACTUAL USE.

Osiris : Osiris was both god of the dead and judge of the underworld. In mythology, Osiris as a human king had experienced death, triumphed over it, and assured his devotees of a happy eternal afterlife. Murdered by his evil brother Seth, Osiris was resurrected by his famous wife, Goddess Isis, not as a human pharaoh, but as the mummiform king of the underworld. In this capacity, he was highly venerated and became the most important god in the Egyptian pantheon. It was believed that every king would become Osiris after he died, and worshippers of Osiris could themselves look forward to becoming an Osiris at death and thereby enjoy eternal life

Gold Leaf Maat : The Goddess Maat represented truth, justice and world order to the ancient Egyptians. It was believed that the power of this goddess regulated the seasons, the movement of the starts and the relationships between mortal men and the gods. This statue is hand finished with 24K gold.

Patina Isis : Isis, the most famous goddess of ancient Egypt, was the wife of Osiris and the mother of Horus. Isis had a reputation as an enchantress. Her magic was allied to the wisdom of Thoth and was given to mankind as a skill of healing. Isis performed, for the first time in history, the rites of embalmment to restore Osiris to eternal life.

Le Menage Royal - The Royal Carosel - Musee du Louvre, Paris : Tapestries chronicled political, religious, and artistic life in the Western world. In the Middle Ages, tapestry had a purely utilitarian function, immortalizing the feudal lords' war exploits, tapestry was used to decorate the austere walls of their castles or as insulation in the more comfortable quarters.

La Dame et l'Licorne - The Lady and the Unicorn - Atelier de Tournai - XV - Cluny Museum : Tapestries chronicled political, religious, and artistic life in the Western world. In the Middle Ages, tapestry had a purely utilitarian function, immortalizing the feudal lords' war exploits, tapestry was used to decorate the austere walls of their castles or as insulation in the more comfortable quarters.

La Tonte des Moutons - Sheep Herding - Musee Royal d'Art et d'Historiere de Bruxelles : Tapestries chronicled political, religious, and artistic life in the Western world. In the Middle Ages, tapestry had a purely utilitarian function, immortalizing the feudal lords' war exploits, tapestry was used to decorate the austere walls of their castles or as insulation in the more comfortable quarters.

La Cueillette des Fruits - Fruit Picking - Musee du Louvre - Paris : Tapestries chronicled political, religious, and artistic life in the Western world. In the Middle Ages, tapestry had a purely utilitarian function, immortalizing the feudal lords' war exploits, tapestry was used to decorate the austere walls of their castles or as insulation in the more comfortable quarters.

La Licorne Captive - Unicorn in Captivity - Metropolitan Museum of Art - New York : Tapestries chronicled political, religious, and artistic life in the Western world. In the Middle Ages, tapestry had a purely utilitarian function, immortalizing the feudal lords' war exploits, tapestry was used to decorate the austere walls of their castles or as insulation in the more comfortable quarters.

Le Messager - The Messenger - Musee d'Art Mural, Vienne : Tapestries chronicled political, religious, and artistic life in the Western world. In the Middle Ages, tapestry had a purely utilitarian function, immortalizing the feudal lords' war exploits, tapestry was used to decorate the austere walls of their castles or as insulation in the more comfortable quarters.

Charles d'Orleans - Charles of Orleans - Musee des Arts Decoratifs : Tapestries chronicled political, religious, and artistic life in the Western world. In the Middle Ages, tapestry had a purely utilitarian function, immortalizing the feudal lords' war exploits, tapestry was used to decorate the austere walls of their castles or as insulation in the more comfortable quarters.

Le Cor - The Horn - Metropolitian Museum of Art - New York : Tapestries chronicled political, religious, and artistic life in the Western world. In the Middle Ages, tapestry had a purely utilitarian function, immortalizing the feudal lords' war exploits, tapestry was used to decorate the austere walls of their castles or as insulation in the more comfortable quarters.

Perfume Bottle : This unique bottle consists of side-by-side cartouches, surmounted by plumes on the lift-off top. Figures of King Tut are on the front and back. In one, Tut is shown as having a black face. which is associated with fertility. The figures on the side are of Heh, god of eternity.

Tuthmosis III : Tuthmosis IIII 18th Dynasty Egypt, according to William C. Hayes, curator of The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Dept of Egyptian Art (I 936-1963), " Was incontestably the greatest pharaoh to ever occupy the throne of Egypt." The achievements of his remarkable 32-year reign included: 1) the conquering of the Asiatic Hyksos in seventeen campaigns to greatly expand the Egyptian empire, 2) his consolidation of Egypt into an efficient organization of internal administration, 3) his exploitation of resources in a vast program of building to greatly augment the wealth of Egypt, and 4) the notable advances in Egyptian art and culture under his sponsorship. This statue is a tribute to the energetic character of Tuthmosis III, the sureness of his administration, and to the success of his conquests.

Sarcophagus of Tutankhamun : The sarcophagus of King Tutankhamun held his three coffins, one inside the other. Symbolism for magical purposes was an important feature of the Egyptian funerary regalia. The decoration of this sarcophagus is dominated by the four tutelary deities carved in high relief. At each corner the graceful figures of the four goddesses: Selket, Isis, Nephthys, and Neith are depicted with wings outspread and arms circling the sarcophagus as if to keep away intruders, protecting the body of the king. Complete with hieroglyphics, this magnificent replica captures the fine detailed beauty of the original.

Osiris : Osiris was both god of the dead and judge of the underworld. In mythology, Osiris as a human king had experienced death, triumphed over it, and assured his devotees of a happy eternal afterlife. Murdered by his evil brother Seth, Osiris was resurrected by his famous wife, Goddess Isis, not as a human pharaoh, but as the mummiform king of the underworld. In this capacity, he was highly venerated and became the most important god in the Egyptian pantheon. It was believed that every king would become Osiris after he died, and worshippers of Osiris could themselves look forward to becoming an Osiris at death and thereby enjoy eternal life

Le Castel - The Castle - Metropolitian Museum of Art - New York : Tapestries chronicled political, religious, and artistic life in the Western world. In the Middle Ages, tapestry had a purely utilitarian function, immortalizing the feudal lords' war exploits, tapestry was used to decorate the austere walls of their castles or as insulation in the more comfortable quarters.

L'Affut - Gathering for the Hunt - Metropolitian Museum of Art - New York : Tapestries chronicled political, religious, and artistic life in the Western world. In the Middle Ages, tapestry had a purely utilitarian function, immortalizing the feudal lords' war exploits, tapestry was used to decorate the austere walls of their castles or as insulation in the more comfortable quarters.

Les Vendanges - Grape Harvest - Musee de Cluny - Paris : In these early tapestries, isolated figures or compact groups stood out against a background that was generally plain or embellished with plant motifs. From the fifteenth century onwards, tapestries become more complex, depicting crowded battle scenes or large groups of figures arranged in tiers under architectural constructions.

Le Depart Pour La Chasse - Departure for the Hunt - Musee de Cluny - Paris : The late fifteenth and entire sixteenth centuries were indisputably dominated by Brussels, a major center after Arras and Tournai and pioneer of a new style. The Renaissance, under Italian influence, revolutionized the art of tapestry making: the tapestries now depicted important figures in casual postures against a background of distant perspectives and landscapes.

La Dame A L'Orgue - Organ Player - Musee de Cluny - Paris : The late fifteenth and entire sixteenth centuries were indisputably dominated by Brussels, a major center after Arras and Tournai and pioneer of a new style. The Renaissance, under Italian influence, revolutionized the art of tapestry making: the tapestries now depicted important figures in casual postures against a background of distant perspectives and landscapes.

Bethsabee A La Cour - Bathsheba, The Court - Musee d'Ecouen : Tapestries chronicled political, religious, and artistic life in the Western world. In the Middle Ages, tapestry had a purely utilitarian function, immortalizing the feudal lords' war exploits, tapestry was used to decorate the austere walls of their castles or as insulation in the more comfortable quarters.

Bethsabee Au Palais - Bathsheba, The Palace - Musee d'Ecouen : Tapestries chronicled political, religious, and artistic life in the Western world. In the Middle Ages, tapestry had a purely utilitarian function, immortalizing the feudal lords' war exploits, tapestry was used to decorate the austere walls of their castles or as insulation in the more comfortable quarters.

Traditional Russian Lacquer Box : These reproductions of Classical Russian Lacquer Boxes reflect the same intricately hand-drawn miniature paintings based on a variety of themes, including fairy tales, poems, country life, troikas, landscapes, battle scenes, and old art masterpieces. They get their name from the many layers of lacquer (most often, black and red) that are applied to both their outside and inside sections. Coats of clear lacquer, or varnish, are the last layers to be put on and provide a stunning shine to the box.

Traditional Russian Lacquer Box : These reproductions of Classical Russian Lacquer Boxes reflect the same intricately hand-drawn miniature paintings based on a variety of themes, including fairy tales, poems, country life, troikas, landscapes, battle scenes, and old art masterpieces. They get their name from the many layers of lacquer (most often, black and red) that are applied to both their outside and inside sections. Coats of clear lacquer, or varnish, are the last layers to be put on and provide a stunning shine to the box.

Traditional Russian Lacquer Box : These reproductions of Classical Russian Lacquer Boxes reflect the same intricately hand-drawn miniature paintings based on a variety of themes, including fairy tales, poems, country life, troikas, landscapes, battle scenes, and old art masterpieces. They get their name from the many layers of lacquer (most often, black and red) that are applied to both their outside and inside sections. Coats of clear lacquer, or varnish, are the last layers to be put on and provide a stunning shine to the box.

Traditional Russian Lacquer Box : These reproductions of Classical Russian Lacquer Boxes reflect the same intricately hand-drawn miniature paintings based on a variety of themes, including fairy tales, poems, country life, troikas, landscapes, battle scenes, and old art masterpieces. They get their name from the many layers of lacquer (most often, black and red) that are applied to both their outside and inside sections. Coats of clear lacquer, or varnish, are the last layers to be put on and provide a stunning shine to the box.

Isis Relief - Painted : Isis was the most famous goddess of ancient Egypt. She was the wife of Osiris and the mother of Horus. Isis was revered as the 'Great Enchantress' and protected Osiris after death. She used her wings in an attempt to transmit the breath of life to him.

Bastet Relief - Painted : Bast the cat goddess was, like Hathor, a goddess of pleasure. She loved music and dance. In her benevolence, she also protected humanity against contagious disease and evil spirits.